Scott Zolak hinted Patriots are talking with Butler about signing an extension (w/ audio!)

Being talked about right now on 98.5

Also confirmed by Giardi


Now with audio
http://boston.cbslocal.com/audio/zolak-bertrand/#.WQ3OBPb9cZU.link

That would be amazing. Love the guy.

I am curious what has changed if anything. Are they suddenly going to change their offer? Not their MO usually. Did Butler cave? Frankly he shouldn't if what was said about the offer 2-3 months ago was true and that is the same one on the table.

Lotta money left over....Miguel shows $20 mill......take some of the hit now. The Saints assisted in pricing Butler so this could move fast if Zo the Boob is correct.

What should be done is pay Butler 6, 12, 13, 14, 15M the next 5 years. Give him 2 extra Million now to save a bit over the next few years. He should by rights make 14M/per after this year. If you give him a bit now you can save more down the line particularly if you are willing to guarantee more.

However the Pats probably don't want to do this cause why take a risk early if you are going to pay 50M+ anyway when all is said in done. Could just wait a year and try to get him for under 60M for 4 years but at least then you don't have too invest as much a year early in case of injury.

BobDigital said:

I am curious what has changed if anything.

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What "changed" is Butler has a feel for his market value now (although it will be higher in a year). He has a cheap year and a feel for the market, maybe they can combine them. For example, if N.O. offered 5/50, the Patriots could offer 5/44 (the 4 for this year and the 10 average N.O. offered) and it could work for both sides.

Butler and Gilmore would be a pretty nice duo for the next 4 or 5 seasons. We'd have better secondaries than Denver and Seattle have had given our depth of top 3 CB/top 3 S.

BobDigital said:

What should be done is pay Butler 6, 12, 13, 14, 15M the next 5 years. Give him 2 extra Million now to save a bit over the next few years. He should by rights make 14M/per after this year. If you give him a bit now you can save more down the line particularly if you are willing to guarantee more.

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Doubt he'll get that, he'd be getting the extension early. That comes with a discount most of the time.

No team is going to move through the air on the Pats. This would be incredible! Butler is a great story and I'd love for him to win championships here for the rest of his career.

BelichickFan said:

Doubt he'll get that, he'd be getting the extension early. That comes with a discount most of the time.

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Generally yes but it seems Butler wants to be paid market value on the extension or very close to it. Unless he changed his mind on that. He knows he can wait a year and get 4 more million per year on average probably. Unless he has stepped off that stance.

This makes sense. Butler has had the opportunity to find out whether anyone was willing to sign him as an RFA. Butler has had the opportunity to find out whether the patriots traded him before or during the draft.

Now, we are in a different situation. The RFA period and the draft have passed. The basis for negotiations is now different. Two possible options have been passed.

The parties SHOULD see where they both stand now.

BobDigital said:

Generally yes but it seems Butler wants to be paid market value on the extension or very close to it. Unless he changed his mind on that. He knows he can wait a year and get 4 more million per year on average probably. Unless he has stepped off that stance.

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Butler will NOT be paid UFA market price for 2017. That is now simply not going to happen. Butler may or may not understand this.

This would be beyond great. I'm guessing that Butler has realized he's stuck playing here for $4m this year and nothing's really gonna change that - he will be paid a lot more starting next year but there's no way he gets more THIS year unless he works out an extension with the Pats. I'm guessing he probably would prefer to stay here long-term over a team he's not familiar with, so perhaps he has decided that it makes sense for him to get more than $4m right now and some longer term security, and know he's staying in one spot for a while, even if it means making a little less in the long run. 4/$42 starting today may feel better than 4/$52 somewhere else starting 1 year from today.

Further, it means he hits UFA again a year sooner, so if he starts out on a 4 year deal right now, he'll be just barely 31 the next time he is coming up on free agency. Not "old" yet but he may command a little more money at that time if he's one year younger.

From that perspective, if he stays here on 1/$4m and then signs for 4/$52m next year elsewhere, that's $56m over 5 years. But if he starts on a 4/$42m deal today, he's made less than he would've on the other deal, but after 4 years he can sign a new deal at the then-current market prices for CBs. If he can get $12m a year at that time (seems plausible considering his talent, age, and the salary cap increases year-over-year), then he's made $54m across that same 5 year time period, barely less money than in the first scenario, and he gets to stay put in NE.

mgteich said:

Butler will NOT be paid UFA market price for 2017. That is now simply not going to happen. Butler may or may not understand this.

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Almost guaranteed it would be for the average N.O. offered with one year removed and replaced by this year's $4M. Gives him something long term, would get him more now but keep the average to something the Patriots are good with.

BobDigital said:

I am curious what has changed if anything. Are they suddenly going to change their offer? Not their MO usually. Did Butler cave? Frankly he shouldn't if what was said about the offer 2-3 months ago was true and that is the same one on the table.

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Butler probably realized his true worth and the fact that playing in NE is by far the best situation for him.

We'll see. I'm hoping.

BelichickFan said:

Almost guaranteed it would be for the average N.O. offered with one year removed and replaced by this year's $4M. Gives him something long term, would get him more now but keep the average to something the Patriots are good with.

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Obviously, the question is the value of the extension. 4 for 2017, 3/39 (including any bonus) might work, depending on guarantees.

If Butler was willing to sign with the Saints for $10m a year, as rumored, and have a lot of that money in the later part of the contract, he's probably willing to do a similar deal here with, presumably, a lot more upfront. For a very good to elite corner, that contract will be reasonable in the years ahead.