Tyrann Mathieu played the best football of his NFL career with James Bettcher as his defensive coordinator in Arizona.

A reunion with the New York Giants might not be as outrageous in terms of salary cap implications as some might think, especially with the departure of Landon Collins at the safety position in part due to the price tag of $11.15 million he would have carried.

Could the Honey Badger be poised to become a missing piece on the back end of Bettcher's defense? His skill set is different than Collins, and that could allow the Giants to pair Mathieu with a combination of Michael Thomas and Sean Chandler, at least for the moment, with the chance to add another player at the position in free agency and/or the NFL draft next month.

Mathieu's strength is in coverage, and the Giants might see his presence as a versatility upgrade to play both deep and in matchup situations, not to mention the flexibility to step into the slot where he could hold up better against receivers than Collins would have.

Mathieu played last season with the Texans on a $7 million deal, and there have been talks of a return to Houston. There could also be an emerging market with teams such as Baltimore also in the mix with the release of veteran Eric Weddle.

The Giants could also look to sign veteran Mike Adams, who would represent a cost effective option to use in the mix with Mathieu, Thomas and Chandler - the latter two being special teams aces. The 37-year-old Adams, who grew up in Paterson, signed a two-year deal with the Panthers and then-GM Dave Gettleman in 2017, and he started every game of the contract.

Mathieu, 26, struggled with injuries early in his career, but he has started all 32 regular season games in which he has played over the past two seasons.

The Giants could offer Mathieu a significant raise on a multi-year deal and it will still be less in 2019 than Collins would've cost against the cap. Comes down to long-term investment in the position, and what team brass values in terms of strengths and weaknesses of the given players, not to mention those already on the roster.

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Corey Coleman set to return

The Giants have assigned an original-round Restricted Free Agent tender to WR Corey Coleman worth $2.025 million. If a team were to sign Coleman away, the Giants would get a first round pick in return, so with that price tag, expect Coleman back with Big Blue in 2019.

The Giants viewed their signing of Coleman to the practice squad last October as a short-term investment with the potential of paying off long-term. The Browns picked Coleman with the No. 15 overall selection in 2016, the centerpiece of their return in a deal that ultimately netted the Eagles their franchise quarterback, Carson Wentz.

Coleman had 56 catches for 718 yards and five touchdowns over his first two seasons, but with Cleveland trading for Jarvis Landry and then signing him long-term, in addition to the drafting of Antonio Callaway, his role was dwindling.

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He never fit in Buffalo, and signed just days after his release from the Bills with the Patriots. They parted ways when Josh Gordon signed in New England, and Coleman had workouts with the Jets, Buccaneers, Eagles and Cardinals since before getting his chance with the Giants.

Coleman was the Biletnikoff Award winner as the best receiver in college football and a consensus All-American when he had 74 catches for 1,363 yards and 20 touchdowns at Baylor.

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The Giants also officially re-signed Pro Bowl kicker Aldrick Rosas, who was an exclusive rights free agent (ERFA). He wasn't going anywhere. Center Jon Halapio, also a ERFA, will be back as well. Depending on his rehab from his leg and ankle fractures, which is going well, Halapio will likely head to training camp as the projected starter.

Email: stapleton@northjersey.com

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