The Malcolm Butler watch continues.
The cornerback has been at the center of speculation about where he’ll play next season since NFL free agency began March 9, and while there’s been nothing new about a possible deal, some NFL experts are sharing their opinions.
Former assistant to the Patriots coaching staff Mike Lombardi does not see a move from the Patriots to the Saints happening this season.
Lombardi, now an NFL analyst on The Ringer website, posted several tweets on Sunday dismissing talk of a trade, pointing out that trade talks cannot begin until Butler, a restricted free agent, is under contract. Butler visited with Saints officials and coaches on Thursday.
The Patriots placed a $3.91 million tender on Butler, so if he were to sign with another team, the Patriots can either match the offer or receive the team’s first-round pick. Given that the Saints are picking 11th, Lombardi does not seem to think they would be willing to part with the pick.
The tweets echo what Lombardi stated last Friday on The Ringer NFL Show podcast, when he said the Saints would be better off keeping the pick to draft a cornerback and pay him the rookie scale rather than sign Butler to long-term deal.
“Why pay Malcolm Butler $13, $14 million a year, sign him to a long-term deal, and then have to turn around a draft pick when you’re basically buying a 27-year-old player? You’d be better off drafting a young corner and hopefully developing him.”
Lombardi thinks it is more likely that Butler will sign his first-round tender, play for the Patriots in 2017, then test the market as a free agent in 2018.
Ben Volin agrees in his Sunday notes, noting that Butler needs to be more patient.
“If the sign-and-trade with the Saints goes through, Butler might make a few extra million in 2017, but there’s no way he will make as much as he will on the open market next year. And in a year or two Butler again will look at his contract and wonder why he’s so underpaid.”
Volin also pointed out that if Butler were to reach all of his incentives for next season, he will have made $6.662 million over the four seasons he played for the Patriots.
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