Davis has been Gardner Johnson’s teammate for the past three seasons and has seen him grow from a rookie to an integral part of one of the league’s best defenses to a top-notch cornerback.
“At this point in the league, you’ve seen pretty much everything,” said Davis, who is entering his 11th season. “So there’s nothing really shocking you. It’s part of the game and part of the business.
“He’s an extraordinary player and an extraordinary part of what we do. Good players in this league are hard to find, but this is the next man’s career.
“It was a tough day (Tuesday). Not only that, they had to cut the roster down to 53. It’s a business, you get that. But it’s still relationships, it’s not that you lose those relationships. It Changes the dynamic of your locker room, when players were once there and then they’re not. That’s a reality we deal with a lot. It’s not just our team, every team deals with it. It’s nothing special. But as a person, you have emotions when someone is around you, and all of a sudden, they don’t.
“I believe in our organization and the decisions they make, and those who are there will be able to get the job done.”
Still, Davis said it could be a troubling situation due to off-field dynamics.
“The game is easy,” Davis said. “Games are games. This is the next business, this is the NFL. You lose good players all the time. Some Hall of Famers are on a team, and then they’re not. So, how do you replace openings like this? Quarterbacks out there doing that, lost one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time (in Drew Brees).
“So the game goes on. That’s the easy part. The life part is challenging. You develop great relationships with individuals who are close to you. I guess the lucky part is life, they’re just moving to different Place. But just not seeing that person every day, laughing and hanging out and chatting with the comrades around you. Those emotions don’t go away.
“Imagine having your friends in high school, and then your parents come and tell you, you’re moving, and now you have to leave. You’ve been through it on both sides — kids are hurt because they can’t leave and their Friends hanging out, that’s the first thing they think about, and then the parents have to deal with the dynamic of moving, adjusting. That’s what players and families have to go through, no one sees it.
“Everyone watches the game, but they don’t see the life behind the game. You have to sell your house, you have to move, you have to find a new school for your kids, you have to make new relationships. Everyone is living Every dynamic that we’ve been through, that’s what we’re doing. So, the game is easy. It’s a challenging part of life.”
As for the challenge of filling middle school vacancies, Mathieu said the Saints are confident they have the right personnel.
“I’ve done these things in the past (in the slot),” he said. “Obviously if the coach wants me to go there, I’m more than willing to put my hands on a pile. But we have guys like (Bradley) Robbie, PJ Williams, they’re already in the system Stayed for a while.” Although that kind of person is very knowledgeable about the ins and outs of it. Whichever one of them steps in, I think these guys are a good option for us. “