The Malcolm Butler dilemma has become the biggest issue around the Patriots’ offseason after resigning Dont’a Hightower and Alan Branch and letting Martellus Bennett walk to sign with the Packers. There are so many rumors around what could happen with Butler, most of the rumors involving the New Orleans Saints. Now let’s quickly mull over what could happen and analyze what each could mean for the Patriots.
Option #1 is Butler agrees to the tender the Patriots put on him, which is worth $3.9 million for the year, at the end of which he would become an unrestricted free agent. In all likelihood if this happens, Butler would walk at the end of the year as he has been unhappy that the Patriots did not talk about an extension with him during the regular season. It is also highly likely that Butler might sit out at least part of the season and refuse to play under the first round tender the Patriots placed on him. This is probably the worst scenario in my opinion, as the Patriots wouldn’t get anything in return for him leaving except for a compensation pick.
Option #2: the Patriots trade Butler’s rights to the Saints. This is probably the most likely scenario that I’m going to cover, as the majority of rumors that I’ve heard have stated this as what is in all likelihood going to happen. The deal would involve the Patriots getting their original first round pick (32nd overall) back from the Saints, and it would just turn the Brandin Cooks trade into an absolute steal for the Patriots as it would pretty much just be Cooks, one of the best deep threats in the NFL for a 3rd round pick. The Patriots would probably throw another draft pick into the deal, but there aren’t a lot of needs the Patriots have for next year’s roster. They could also use the 32nd pick on a cornerback to replace Butler, such as Washington’s Sidney Jones, who is still considered by many as the top cornerback in the class, but a partially torn Achilles tendon.
Option #3: the Saints sign Butler to an offer sheet and the Patriots don’t match it. If this happens, the Saints have to give the Patriots their first round pick, which is number 11 overall. This is probably the best case scenario for the Patriots, as this draft class is very strong defensively in positions the Patriots could probably use an upgrade at, but if this scenario plays out, I believe they will end up selecting another cornerback to fill the hole left by Butler. This is my personal favorite scenario for the Patriots because there are so many options for them if they end up with the 11 pick. Most, if not all of the top rated cornerbacks would still be on the board in this slot, and the Patriots could have their pick of a lot of incredibly talented corners, and that could be a scary thing considering how the rest of the Patriot defense is playing out after the signing of Stephon Gilmore.
