Malcolm Butler is informing teams he wants a Stephon Gilmore-level deal, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports (on Twitter). The RFA cornerback’s agent is contacting teams trying to find one willing to fork over a first-round pick for his client, per La Canfora (via Twitter), although this shouldn’t be deemed as especially unusual.
However, Butler might not be happy with his currently employer after the Patriots signed the Bills’ previous No. 1 corner to a lucrative contract. The fourth-year player’s camp, per Michael Giardi of CSNNE.com (Twitter link), is “extremely frustrated” by the Patriots’ current position and their decision to add Gilmore on a big deal.
La Canfora adds the Patriots would likely be OK with another team signing Butler to an offer sheet and collecting a first-round pick by refusing to match. They sent their 2017 first-rounder to the Saints for Brandin Cooks and moved their second-round choice in a deal for Kony Ealy during an action-packed Friday for the franchise.
This gels with what a report earlier today indicating the Pats and Butler’s opinions of what an extension would cost to keep him differ. Gilmore signed for five years and $65MM — which is quite a bit of a commitment for a team that doesn’t usually sign other teams’ UFAs to lavish long-term deals — while Butler is attached to a first-round tender ($3.91MM) he’s yet to sign.
No trade can occur until Butler signs his tender, but a trade commencing between the Patriots and a team willing to give Butler a big contract is more likely than a scenario where a team signs the 27-year-old former UDFA to an offer sheet and New England doesn’t match, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (on Twitter). Butler and his agent are free to try and create a trade/subsequent new contract, Volin notes (Twitter link).
The Patriots may not be especially keen on employing two corners on eight-figure-AAV deals considering their recent actions involving impending high-end UFAs. New England traded Chandler Jones and Jamie Collins, watching those talents’ second NFL teams retain them at steep prices. The Patriots have only two defenders making more than $5MM per year, and both play in the secondary — Gilmore and Devin McCourty ($9MM-plus AAV). This further points to a potential path out of New England for Butler. The Pats and Dont’a Hightower also remain engaged in discussions on a deal that would make the linebacker a third highly paid New England defender.
But for now, Butler is tethered to the defending Super Bowl champions. The Patriots can withdraw their tender offer to Butler on June 15 and pay him 110 percent of his 2016 salary ($600K), so there will be some movement in this looming impasse by then.
Sounds like Butler will be a Brown come draft day… 2nd round pick?
Jimmy G and Butler for all the browns picks this year
Are you on drugs
Hoodie uses his Jedi mind tricks to get this done.
Considering they’d get a pick higher than a second in a worst case scenario right now – no.
Butler and Jimmy G to the Browns for their 2 first round picks and 2 seconds and 3 3rd round picks. That’s enough for a good young QB and a great younger CB
This has got to be the most asinine trade proposal of all trade proposals, you sure you dont want next years first and seconds as well?
Lmao. Possibly the worst trade proposal I’ve seen on any of the rumor sites.
Whats better is he says that thats enough, like they are settling by taking that. Its not at all that the Browns are getting sodomized in this scenario.
Yet, I am accused of having the most pessimistic anti-Pats views because I point out how ridiculous many of these Pats fans are with these trade “proposal” ideas.
They arent anti-pats views, simply pointing out its absurd to even suggest 7 draft picks in the first three rounds for a qb and cb which neither will be under contract at the end of the season. Its even more absurd considering the Browns have an entire team to rebuild, not just those 2 positions, so to give all that up is completely ludicrous snd even more so for someone to suggest it as a fair trade.
Think patriots fans on serious acid trips with those trade offers for Browns picks….both
I’m a pats fan and I agree with you
I think a fair trade would be 2 1st round picks, and a couple of 3rd round picks i obviously would like more but i would be ecstatic to acquire the number 1 overall pick and get Garrett or Foster
Or 1st overall, a second and a couple thirds?
Here is a crazy thought. How about swapping first round picks for the next 3 years. It’s a gamble both might take.
I don’t see the No. 1 pick being involved purely because of the contracts they would need to give to Butler and Garrappolo. If the Browns wanted both, I think a more realistic trade offer would be the No. 12 pick, a second round pick, and a conditional first/second rounder. You could make the conditions along the lines of if Garrappolo and/or Butler play a certain percentage of snaps, hits certain stat markers, or are signed to a long term deal then the conditional pick becomes a future first. If they don’t hit those conditions, it becomes a future second. You could also throw in an extra pick (coming from the Browns) depending on which condition is/isn’t met as well.
Have to remember the actual trade values of Butler and Garrappolo. Butler is good, but because he needs a new contract soon, his value comes down (consider the Jamie Collins trade a good example of a player having less value because of their contract situation). Same applies for Garrappolo and that’s before you get into the conversation of what his actual value is since he’s been sitting behind Brady for three years, has only played 6 meaningful quarters, and the argument that Brady’s backups aren’t that good when they go elsewhere.
But you also have to look at it from this point of view Butler has a first round tender on him meaning the Pats would be stupid to get anything less than that for him. a first for Butler is fair, imo. But then add in Jimmy G, its unfair to him to use previous backups as examples, Sam Bradford is an okay QB but still netted a 1st Jimmy G has shown in limited time that he could be a lot better than Bradford. He needs to be signed as well, I was thinking the first overall pick, 33rd overall pick, and conditional 2nd that turns into a first if Jimmy G resigns. OR Jimmy G and Butler to the 49ers for ONE of Armstead or Buckner plus 2nd round pick this year 2018 first round pick
Whoops meant 2017 1st and 2018 second
Yea of course it has to be the 1st overall right. I mean matt flynn shouldve been worth that too then, since he sat behind rodgers for 4 years and had 9tds in two starts, but we now know that meant nothing. Does this mean the Packers can ask for 2 1st rounders next year for Hundley just on account of him sitting behind Rodgers. Or would you say well Matt Flynn didnt turn out so well, and Hundley never really played. So why is it that you pats fans shoot for the moon and yet its unfair to say bradys backups havent been good.
So if Jimmy has played in a limited fashion for “six meaningful quarters”, apparently showing enough to potentially garner two first round picks and a second, then why do so many people believe Kirk cousins is only valued at one first rounder? I said in another post the skins could get at least two first rounders from the 49ers/browns for Kirk, but apparently some people barely think he’s even worth one. He finished last season with the third most passing yards, and landed in the top 10 among all QBs. Broke the franchise records which, by the way, he had set in 2015. Just don’t understand how a guy who has two full years as a starter with great stats and no injury history is being valued below a backup QB with barely any sample size. I constantly remind people about Brock Osweiler, super similar situation – going from a backup QB for a super bowl winning team to eating dirt on a bottom 5 offense. Jimmy G probably wouldn’t bust that hard, but it’s still a gamble.
I never once said Jimmy for 2 1sts and a second i said Jimmy and Butler for a first a second and a second that could turn into a first with an extension, OR Butler and Jimmy for a 1st a young player and a second. Butler is worth a 1st rounder based on the tag the Patriots placed on him. Adding both gives a discount due to both needing extensions. As for Kirk Cousins and why Jimmy is more valuable you look at age and how much an extension would cost, Cousins is much older and with his current contract and potential next contract of the franchise at about 32M that leaves his value at 28M since its about right in the middle you take that and make it a 5 year deal 140M. Jimmy is much younger and might get somewhere in the range of 60-70M over 4 years depending on play thats literally half. Plus why would any team want to give up their future for a guy in his 30s thats gonna be making well over 20M per year when they can get a guy for younger at half the price
Much older? 3 years, which is approximately what garoppolo has on any rookie
All the pats fans are delusional with their trade proposals. Why offer a lot for a qb who only plays if Brady gets hurt. Which he really doesnt. Plus if the Browns trade for a CB it wont be Butler it would probably be Trumaine Johnson from the Rams. Greg williams coach Johnson last year for the rams. And the Pats would be happy with a 2nd or prob even a 3rd for Butler. They just tagged him that high to make aure they had a top CB
Im not delusional at all in fact almost every move that i have suggested they make has happened, how does that make me delusional? Theres really no point in talking to you because you dont see it from the sellers point of view only the buyers. Pats are not giving up Butler without a first round pick or player of equal value. Please explain to me how im delunsional.. What did i say that was so far fetched and unbelievable? You failed to mention the 49ers trade i brought up and how that was “Unbelievable” It sucks that so many people hate the Pats and Pats fans just because we win all the time. We dont make fun of Browns fans for their team having not won anything in their history or the fact that they havent had a good QB in who knows how long, people like to attack the winners to make up for the fact that they team they like is a loser
Ill explain it, you say cousins is devalued because hes older and seeking a huge contract. Well if thats the case, garoppolo would be seeking another contract next year and hes older than any prospect the browns can take. Add in the fact that anyone they take would be playing 5 years on a rookie deal, and jimmy g has approximately 2 starts more than anyone of these rookies, so how is its hes worth so much, is it simple because hes a patriot?
I agree with you on the delusional trade scenarios I can’t wait until this garrapolo talk is over. But the pats would not be happy with a 3rd or most if not all seconds for Butler that’s just as delusional as all this trade talk and idiotic to say the least.
They have him under control for 1 year at about 4 million and the only way they can lose him is if another teams signs an offer sheet in which case if thy don’t match they get their 1st rounder. Why on earth would they trade him for a 3rd rounder if no one signs him to an offer sheet they would just keep him and have one of the best secondary in NFL for a year.
I guess it takes a delusional fan to know one
I just don’t see a cautious rebuilding Browns sending any picks away for anybody (especially a small sample size back up QB) that doesn’t include a whooping set of picks coming back.
Browns look unlikely to trade any picks for Jimmy G. I think they load up on rookie contracts the next 2 years and whatever cream rises they extend and they supplement from there. If they truly r going moneyball then all this trade high picks for jimmy g isn’t moneyball. It’s trade vets for young dudes and extend or trade the dudes who perform for more young dudes
Also, I think you can’t compare Vikings sending a first for Bradford last August. Who doesn’t feel like they overpaid but an injury to your starter so late in August and the fact they had an assessment of Super Bowl caliber team with a talented defense is what caused Vikings to overpay so much.
There’s no way the Browns overpay any first rounders unless it’s someone like established Cousins.
Butler to the Packers for their 1st round pick and maybe another pick? Green Bay will likely use their 1st rounder to address the secondary anyways so it makes sense on paper. Whether Ted Thompson pulls the trigger is a different story.
Patriots want two first round picks for Jimmy G, the Browns offered the #12 pick and they said no way we want to keep him, if it was a deal with Butler and Jimmy G it’s gonna be a lot, deft not delusional to see two firsts and two seconds with extra picks involved, the browns really want Jimmy G and have 5 second round picks next two years.