Malcolm Butler - Pro Football Rumors

Pats Could Still Re-Sign CB Malcolm Butler

October 27th, 2017 at 7:16pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although reports near the beginning of the season indicated cornerback Malcolm Butler would likely leave the Patriots following the 2017 campaign, there is in fact mutual contractual interest between New England and the former Super Bowl hero, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. However, negotiations aren’t expected to take place until the season concludes.

Butler, of course, was reportedly dangled in trade talks all offseason, and also had a restricted free agent dalliance with the Saints that ultimately led nowhere. He’s now teaming with free agent acquisition Stephon Gilmore in a surprisingly poor secondary, and that hefty investment in Gilmore (five years, $65MM) could lead to Butler going elsewhere.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported earlier this year that the Patriots were “done” negotiating with Butler, although that could have meant the club wouldn’t rekindle talks until the offseason. Butler looks the like the best cornerback scheduled to enter the 2018 free agent market (other options include Vontae Davis and Trumaine Johnson), and New England would be entitled to a compensatory selection — likely in the third round — if Butler signs with another club.

The franchise tag could conceivably be an option, but Rapoport indicated the Patriots had no interest in using that tender on Butler in 2018. Next year’s cornerback tag will likely be worth north of $15MM, meaning New England would be investing a significant amount of money in its defensive backfield. Butler is currently earning just $3.91MM this season under his restricted free agent tender.

Butler, 27, struggled earlier this year, but he’s settled in and returned to his typical levels of production. He’s played on 95% of the Patriots’ defensive snaps, and grades as the NFL’s No. 22 cornerback through seven games, per Pro Football Focus. While he’s managed two interceptions on the season, Butler ranks just 57th among 63 qualifiers in Football Outsiders’ success rate.

Poll: Will The Patriots Trade CB Malcolm Butler?

September 30th, 2017 at 11:49am CST by Ben Levine

Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler had been the subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason. With the trade deadline rapidly approaching , it begs the question: will New England look to trade their former Super Bowl hero?

Before we discuss the logic of such a move, let’s review why the Patriots and Butler find themselves in this situation in the first place. The former undrafted free agent has proven himself as one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL over the past two years, earning a Pro Bowl spot in 2015 and a second-team All-Pro nod in 2016. Unsurprisingly, the underpaid cornerback requested a raise prior to last season, although the Patriots predictably made him play on his $600K salary. With the cornerback set to hit restricted free agency, the Patriots slapped a first-round tender on him early in the offseason.

Instead of signing Butler to a lucrative extension, the Patriots decided to ink free agent corner Stephon Gilmore to the most expensive contract for a defensive player in team history. Predictably, Butler was “extremely frustrated” by this move. Subsequent reports indicated that the team was shopping Butler to New Orleans, and the player’s agent was apparently asking front offices for a Gilmore-type contract (around $14MM annually). While there seemed to be some momentum towards a deal with the Saints, talks ultimately died, and Butler eventually signed his tender.

With reports indicating that the cornerback was likely going to leave New England following the season, some assumed that the Patriots would ride out the season with a deadly duo of Butler and Gilmore. However, coach Bill Belichick has never really operated under that logic. Last year, we saw the team trade impending free agents Chandler Jones and Jamie Collins. Previously, the front office dealt Deion Branch and Richard Seymour, who were also set to hit free agency. In all these cases, the trades arguably hurt New England’s on-field product, which only emphasizes why Belichick isn’t afraid to trade a player before he’s set to walk. For what it’s worth, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported back in April that a trade was still possible, although unlikely. Reports also indicated that the team has no interest in franchising the defensive back.

Through the first three games of the season, the cornerback hasn’t done much to boost his free agent stock. After playing nearly all of his team’s snaps in 2016, he found himself on the bench during the beginning of the Patriots’ Week 2 contest. He’s compiled nine tackles and one pass defended this year, and Pro Football Focus ranks him 37th among 109 qualified cornerbacks.

Even if he has taken a slight step back this season, the Patriots could still receive some type of draft-pick compensation for Butler. Sure, he is an impending free agent in pursuit of a huge payday, but any acquiring team would have the leverage of a franchise tag.

So that leads back to the original question: will the Patriots trade Malcolm Butler prior to the trade deadline? Vote below, and let us know what you think in the comment section.

AFC Notes: Butler, Kizer, Texans, Ravens

September 23rd, 2017 at 10:15am CST by Ben Levine

DeShone Kizer will surely see his fair share of struggles during his rookie campaign, similar to his four-turnover performance last weekend. However, the Browns are seemingly willing to be patient with their signal-caller, and this sentiment was emphasized by head coach Hue Jackson.

“He’s playing with a bunch of men,” said Jackson (via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). “He’s 21 years old. He’s leading an organization that hasn’t been what it needs to be. He’s surrounded by a ton of guys who, we haven’t won a ton of games, and he’s trying to uplift everything. There’s a lot of pressure. Let’s just be honest — it is.”

In two NFL starts, Kizer has completed 57.4-percent of his passes for 404 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions. He’s also collected 43 rushing yards and one touchdown on 10 attempts.

“Like many rookies, I can name many guys in this league who have thrown three interceptions in a game, four interceptions in a game and came back the next week and played their tails off,” Jackson said. “That’s going to happen. I don’t like it. Nobody does. But hopefully he will keep growing from it and keep getting better.”

Let’s check out some more notes from around the AFC…

Texans left tackle Duane Brown is the lone veteran to continue his hold out into the regular season. Former NFL agent Joel Corry notes that his team could certainly use some reinforcement on the offensive line, although precedent says Brown won’t receive his desired contract. Not only is the organization reluctant to hand out extensions during the regular season, but they also don’t want to find themselves in similar situations in the future. Ultimately, Corry believes there’s little incentive for Brown to sit out the entire regular season, so he ultimately thinks the Texans will win the stalemate.
The cash-strapped Ravens cleared $2.66MM in cap space today, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter). The organization converted Tony Jefferson‘s $1.96MM salary and Justin Tucker‘s $1.79MM salary into signing bonuses, leading to the additional cap space.
Could the Colts be eyeing a coaching change if they fall to 0-3 this weekend? ESPN.com’s Mike Wells isn’t sure, although he says a loss to the lowly Browns wouldn’t be a good look for head coach Chuck Pagano. For what it’s worth, owner Jim Irsay has never fired a coach during the regular season, and Pagano can use the excuse that he’s been without his franchise quarterback in Andrew Luck. However, if the team doesn’t put up a fight at home, Wells believes the hot seat will certainly get warmer.
Impending free agent cornerback Malcolm Butler has struggled through the Patriots‘ first two games, writes CSNNE.com’s Mike Giardi. In fact, the coaching staff knocked the former Super Bowl hero out of the starting lineup last weekend, replacing him with Eric Rowe. Trade rumors surrounded Butler throughout the offseason, and he watched as the team handed a hefty payday to a cornerback from another organization (Stephon Gilmore). While Butler presumably isn’t happy with his current situation, the writer believes it’s up to the player to turn his season around.

East Rumors: Lawrence, Jets, McAdoo, Pats

September 21st, 2017 at 9:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Demarcus Lawrence has won matchups with Giants right tackle Bobby Hart and Broncos right-edge protector Menelik Watson en route to 3.5 sacks in the Cowboys‘ first two games. However, the fourth-year defensive end is not big on attributing his early run of success to being in a contract year. And the former second-round pick wants to impress Cowboys management rather than pursue a UFA path.

“I mean, it’s a contract year, so what?” Lawrence said, via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “I want to be here forever. This year don’t define me as a player. Y’all might say it’s because it’s a contract year, but the first year I was balling. My second year I was balling. My third year I had trouble with my back, so it didn’t seem like I was there. This year doesn’t define me.”

That injury and a four-game suspension limited Lawrence to nine regular-season contests last season. He registered just four sacks after recording eight as a second-year player. Lawrence missed nine games as a rookie due to injury, so the former Boise State standout staying healthy would be a key component of his push for a second Cowboys contract.

Here’s the latest from the East divisions, shifting to a contract that didn’t come to pass.

Jay Cutler said the Jets scheduled multiple visits for him to visit New York as a free agent, but each ended up being cancelled. Now coming to the Big Apple as the Dolphins starter, Cutler said the sides weren’t in the mere exploratory stage but also noted (via the Associated Press) the Jets weren’t “aggressive” in their pursuit of him as a then-UFA. Cutler will face former Bears teammate Josh McCown this weekend in the AFC East tilt.
Malcolm Butler played at least 96 percent of the Patriots‘ defensive snaps in 2015 and ’16, but Eric Rowe took his place in the starting lineup last week against the Saints. The subject of trade rumors this offseason — with the Saints being the frontrunner for that would-be deal — the contract-year corner tried to brush that topic off. “This is where I play; this is where I’m happy at,” Butler said (via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com), “just have to continue doing my thing.” This is the latest chapter in the Butler/Pats saga, one that looks likely to end after this season. Both Rowe and Stephon Gilmore have seen groin injuries emerge, so Butler may well return to the Pats’ starting lineup against the Texans. However, Butler’s received no indication that he’ll return to a first-string role.
Ben McAdoo is not dismissing the idea of ceding the Giants‘ play-calling reins, but it doesn’t sound like he wants to give them up, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv notes, adding it might take a front office direction to get the second-year coach to give up that responsibility. While writing OC Mike Sullivan suddenly calling plays wouldn’t be a cure-all, Vacchiano opines that McAdoo is occasionally “lost” trying to manage the game and call plays.

Malcolm Butler, Pats Likely To Part In 2018

September 8th, 2017 at 2:27pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots aren’t expected to re-sign cornerback Malcolm Butler after the 2017 season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Butler, of course, was reportedly dangled in trade talks all offseason, and also had a restricted free agent dalliance with the Saints that ultimately led nowhere. Now that he’s in New England for one more year, Butler is teaming with free agent acquisition Stephon Gilmore to give the Patriots one of the more fearsome cornerback duos in the league. But it’s that hefty investment in Gilmore (five years, $65MM) that will likely lead to Butler going elsewhere.

New England has made Butler a “slew of offers” over the past few seasons, but none recently, per Rapoport, and the club is “done” negotiating with Butler. Additionally, the Patriots have no plans to use the franchise tag on Butler, as that would come with a price tag north of $15MM. Instead, New England hopes that Butler lands an expensive contract on the open market, which would in turn entitle the Pats to a 2019 compensatory selection.

A deal that makes Butler one of the NFL’s highest-paid corners isn’t out the question, as he’s started all 32 games over the past two seasons and ranked as the league’s No. 7 CB in 2016, per Pro Football Focus. Etched into the history books thanks to his game-winning interception in Super Bowl XLIX, Butler should surpass the $15MM per year barrier on the open market.

East Notes: Butler, Grant, Redskins

May 7th, 2017 at 10:11am CST by Rory Parks

Malcolm Butler reported to the Patriots earlier this week to participate in voluntary workouts, but as Ryan Hannble of WEEI.com writes, that does not mean he is happy to be back in New England. Butler has been displeased since the club signed Stephon Gilmore to a five-year, $65MM deal this offseason, and while the Saints were apparently willing to pony up big bucks for Butler, they were unwilling to also part with their No. 11 overall draft pick for his services. But with Gilmore set to assume the No. 1 cornerback role in New England, Butler may be shifted to the slot, which could decrease his value when he hits unrestricted free agency next year. Hannable says that the situation is worth monitoring because if Butler isn’t playing the way he wants, and if that creates a locker room distraction, the Pats could still trade him, just as they traded Jamie Collins last year.

Now for more from the league’s east divisions:

Jakeem Grant, who worked almost exclusively as a return man for the Dolphins last year, is being asked to learn the outside receiver positions this offseason, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. Grant played only 19 offensive snaps last season, and he dropped the only pass thrown his way, but offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen believes his explosiveness will translate well to offense.
There are a few ways the Redskins go could about re-organizing their front office, which John Keim of ESPN.com helpfully summarizes in his latest mailbag. Keim believes the club will really start working on the issue over the next week or so, which will include interviewing potential GM candidates.
Nate Gerry was a safety during his collegiate career at Nebraska, but as Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes, the Eagles plan to convert Gerry, whom they selected in the fifth round of this year’s draft, to linebacker. Gerry will have a chance to compete for immediate playing time in an unsettled linebacker unit.
We learned yesterday that Giants wide receiver Brandon Marshall plans to hang up the cleats after his two-year deal with Big Blue expires at the end of the 2018 season (as long as he has a Super Bowl ring by then).

Malcolm Butler Reports To Patriots OTAs

May 3rd, 2017 at 12:08pm CST by Zachary Links

After a strange offseason, Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler is back to work. Butler has reported to Foxborough to participate in voluntary workouts, as NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reports.

Butler was a restricted free agent this offseason and the Patriots contemplated life without him after adding Stephon Gilmore in March. The Saints had serious interest in Butler, but they were unwilling to part with the No. 11 overall pick in the draft to get him. There were some discussions about a sign-and-trade scenario that would give the Patriots lesser draft compensation for the cornerback, but those talks did not result in a deal.

After signing his RFA tender, Butler will play out the season on his $3.91MM one-year tender. While he was hoping for a lucrative long-term deal – like the one the Saints were willing to give him – he’s not going to stay away from the team to express his frustrations.

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Saints Rumors: Butler, Lattimore, Foster

April 28th, 2017 at 8:59am CST by Zachary Links

Last night, Saints coach Sean Payton had a candid chat with reporters and shared some interesting info. Here’s a look at the highlights:

The coach said all of the trade possibilities the team previously considered for veteran cornerbacks “still remain open” depending on how the rest of the draft falls (Twitter link via Mike Triplett of ESPN.com). Payton, ostensibly, is referring to the Saints’ trade talks with the Patriots regarding Malcolm Butler. When New Orleans drafted Ohio State cornerback Marshon Lattimore with the No. 11 pick, many assumed that the team would back off of its pursuit. Personally, I don’t believe that the Saints will be willing to give up significant compensation for Butler now that they have Lattimore, particularly since locking him down will require a hefty contract.
Payton said the Saints even had talks about possibly trading up to land Lattimore. They also listened to offers to trade down, but ultimately stood pat (Twitter link via Triplett). He added that Lattimore was the team’s third or fourth ranked player on the board heading into the draft (Twitter link via Nick Underhill of The Advocate).
The Saints were considering Reuben Foster and Takkarist McKinley at No. 32 before they came off the board, Payton told reporters (Twitter link via Triplett). With both players gone, the Saints selected offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk.
Payton views Ramczyk, who played left tackle at Wisconsin, as a right tackle (Twitter link via Herbie Teope of the Times-Picayune).

Malcolm Butler Trade Still Possible

April 27th, 2017 at 4:51pm CST by Zachary Links

A Malcolm Butler trade is “unlikely … but not impossible,” according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link via Zack Cox of NESN). With just hours to go before the draft, the Saints and Patriots will have to act fast to get something done.

The Saints and Butler have reportedly agreed to terms on a potential contract, but the Saints and Patriots have been far apart on trade compensation. The Saints could have signed Butler to an offer sheet as a restricted free agent, but an unmatched sheet would have forced them to part with the No. 11 overall pick. Some believed that the two sides would ultimately compromise on a trade sending the Patriots’ No. 32 pick back to New England, but that has not materialized thus far. The Patriots, reportedly, are not interested in acquiring 2018 draft compensation for Butler, so time is ticking for a trade to go down.

As it stands, Butler is set to play out the 2017 season on his $3.91MM one-year tender.

Saints Notes: Butler, AP, Ingram, Snead

April 26th, 2017 at 8:32pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

New Orleans hasn’t “really had any discussions for quite some time” about acquiring Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler, according to Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, while head coach Sean Payton notes that the 27-year-old is “with New England, and I don’t think anything has changed. I don’t see anything being imminent as well (links via Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com).” Their statements came on the heels of a report suggesting the Pats are unlikely to trade Butler, whom the Saints have chased throughout the offseason. New Orleans courted Butler as a restricted free agent and even agreed to a multiyear contract with him, but the club doesn’t want to meet the Patriots’ asking price for the onetime Pro Bowler.