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

[fnordcircle]

I got someone hired at my job who was hired on at a higher pay grade than me despite having worked with me the previous 10 years before the company got bought out (**** you Oracle)

The amount of zeroes to the left of the decimal point don't make it any more of a hit against your pride. I hope Butler signs but I won't blame him if he walks should they offer him less than Gilmore.

You can talk all the logic you want but I think this is an emotional thing for Malcolm.

 

[mgteich]

We can wish that this is over for this season, but that needn't be the case.

Butler did what he needed to do to go forward.

Perhaps, he will have a new strategy, or a new agent.

I think that it is still possible that he threatens a holdout, and yes, he has to report sometime November to be able to be a UFA next year.

So, it's possible that Butler has accepted his role as our #2 corner, a replacement for Logan's role. Or, perhaps, he has not.

 

[Rob0729]

Well, now that Butler knows he is playing on an one year deal with the Pats, he may be more agreeable to a lesser deal. He is making just under $4 million a year this year. So he probably losing $6 million from what would have been the Saints deal. So his asking price with the Pats may be coming down.

I think Butler would have thought there would be more activity for him on the RFA market. I did too. I am surprised that someone wouldn't be willing to give up a first (at least teams drafting near the bottom of the first round) for a CB who can play at an elite level.

 

[Rob0729]

Not sure this changes anything, but interesting to note

Yeah, it means he really wanted to get paid.

 

[reflexblue]

Well, it helps the Pats in negotiations that his buddy LG Blount, who was angling for a bigger contract, has been been schemed out of the Pats future and now is scraping around just to find employment. This, despite scoring 18TDs last season.

There's nothing quite like a near death experience to make you reconsider the blessings in your life.

Was LGB even offered a contract by the pats?

 

[reflexblue]

I hope not, he just isn't that good. Scrappy guy, but not a top 20 cb. At all.

I was hoping we'd dump him and draft jourdan lewis. Better player and cheaper too. No luck.

Your inner troll is showing.

 

[ViperGTS]

Well, if one employer wanted to pay you $3.9m and the other wanted to pay you ~$50m I would too.

The question is have negotiations improved and has enough progress been made so any ill-feelings Malcolm may have have harbored addressed?

He's back with the team for OTAs. If anything, the fact that nobody wanted to give up major assets for him probably was a reality check. New Orleans ain't gonna be coming calling next year after their draft. He'd be best off just accepting his situation as he should have from day one.

 

[deroc5050]

This will be Malcolms 4th year in the league, he literally has little to complain about. He is still going to get a big pay day one way or the other. He will get a 4 year contract worth 12/14 mil per year most likely. And if he is still going strong at age 31 he will get another 2 year deal.

 

[mgteich]

This will be Malcolms 4th year in the league, he literally has little to complain about. He is still going to get a big pay day one way or the other. He will get a 4 year contract worth 12/14 mil per year most likely. And if he is still going strong at age 31 he will get another 2 year deal.

Sure, IF HE HAS another good year, and IF HE IS HEALTHY, then he will get UFA value next year.

 

[deroc5050]

Sure, IF HE HAS another good year, and IF HE IS HEALTHY, then he will get UFA value next year.

Well even if he had a logan Ryan type of season he would still end up with 10 mil per year. If he falls off the cliff this year then.. well he wouldn't be worth the money that he was paid then.

Unless of course if he gets a career threatening injury but he should take out some insurance for 10 mil just in case.

 

[mgteich]

Well even if he had a logan Ryan type of season he would still end up with 10 mil per year. If he falls off the cliff this year then.. well he wouldn't be worth the money that he was paid then.

Unless of course if he gets a career threatening injury but he should take out some insurance for 10 mil just in case.

Agreed.

Butler wanted to cash in early, and no one would cooperate.

 

[RobertWeathers]

He's back with the team for OTAs. If anything, the fact that nobody wanted to give up major assets for him probably was a reality check. New Orleans ain't gonna be coming calling next year after their draft. He'd be best off just accepting his situation as he should have from day one.

I tend to agree.

The wild card here is the ambulance chaser lawyer for an agent he had and god knows what he was telling a potentially naive Malcolm.

The pick compensation aspect of the RFA distinction might have been a sobering reality for him. Who knows.

Hopefully he has come to terms with the situation and has not taken personally BB playing hardball and has a great season.

 

[ViperGTS]

I tend to agree.

The wild card here is the ambulance chaser lawyer he had and god knows what he was telling a potentially naive Malcolm.

The pick compensation aspect of the RFA distinction might have been a sobering reality for him. Who knows.

Hopefully he has come to terms with, doesn't take BB playing hardball personally and has a great season.

What also doesn't help is a reporter (Giardi) who has thrown any sense of neutrality away and gone to the max to defend Butler and defend him like a White Knight.

For that matter, he said at Butler wants to play anywhere he will get paid. He named a ton of teams including the Jets. If true, that's pathetic.

 

[RobertWeathers]

What also doesn't help is a reporter (Giardi) who has thrown any sense of neutrality away and gone to the max to defend Butler and defend him like a White Knight.

For that matter, he said at Butler wants to play anywhere he will get paid. He named a ton of teams including the Jets. If true, that's pathetic.

Giardi is an idiot.

I don't believe anything he says.

 

[rookBoston]

Was LGB even offered a contract by the pats?

I don't have any inside information. Apparently (reportedly) he had a standing offer on the table, but not for the number he wanted.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Butler and Gilmore for years and years to come?

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

We can wish that this is over for this season, but that needn't be the case.

Butler did what he needed to do to go forward.

Perhaps, he will have a new strategy, or a new agent.

I think that it is still possible that he threatens a holdout, and yes, he has to report sometime November to be able to be a UFA next year.

So, it's possible that Butler has accepted his role as our #2 corner, a replacement for Logan's role. Or, perhaps, he has not.

One thing that makes BB him GOAT HC is his almost inhuman consistency.

One may disagree with BB on what player is performing most productively (BB certainly isn't error free) but whoever BB thinks is producing on a consistent level equals top playing time for that player. So if our new "#1 CB" struggles in camp, preseason and/or in season while MB plays like 'the man!' who is breathing fire towards his first ChaChing! contract, MB will be the "#1 CB".
For better or worse BB is always ready to drop you if you don't do your job consistently well, even if you are a big name, even if the replacement is a no name, even if the media and fans' heads explode over the decision. Ultimately we will see who is the "#1 CB" once the season revs up. Hopefully our 2 top CBs compete damn hard to get that #1 title.

 

[supafly]

I am surprised that someone wouldn't be willing to give up a first (at least teams drafting near the bottom of the first round) for a CB who can play at an elite level.

Let's remember that no team in the NFL has given up a first round pick to pry away an RFA since 2003, so it's a very rare occurrence. Placing the first round tender on him basically guaranteed that he'd be here, absent a trade, of course.

If I'm a team picking in the first round, I'm probably leaning towards drafting a player 5-6 years younger, who I can control for 5 long years on a cheap, rookie deal.

In other words, I'm surprised that you're surprised.

 

[supafly]

One thing that makes BB him GOAT HC is his almost inhuman consistency.

One may disagree with BB on what player is performing most productively (BB certainly isn't error free) but whoever BB thinks is producing on a consistent level equals top playing time for that player. So if our new "#1 CB" struggles in camp, preseason and/or in season while MB plays like 'the man!' who is breathing fire towards his first ChaChing! contract, MB will be the "#1 CB".
For better or worse BB is always ready to drop you if you don't do your job consistently well, even if you are a big name, even if the replacement is a no name, even if the media and fans' heads explode over the decision. Ultimately we will see who is the "#1 CB" once the season revs up. Hopefully our 2 top CBs compete damn hard to get that #1 title.

Absolutely. It shouldn't be assumed that Gilmore is automatically the number one CB, as his deal is basically for 2 years with what amounts to a year-to-year option for the next three. IIRC, they can walk away after 2 years with minimal damage.

Contract value isn't always a surefire way of determining depth chart placement, although we can safely assume that he was brought here to start and contribute at a high level on a regular basis, due to such a large AAV. We can surmise that he is expected to see a high number of reps, but we can probably call him the CB1 or CB2. I doubt it matters much right now, at least until Butler's gone. Personally, I think most of us will refer to him as the CB1, but Butler may overtake that label with strong play as the year goes on.

 

[supafly]

I don't have any inside information. Apparently (reportedly) he had a standing offer on the table, but not for the number he wanted.

That seems right, considering that he was fairly cheap and that they could walk away without much concern after everything shakes out in training camp.

I think they may have grown tired of waiting around without making another move, though, hence the signing of Gilleslee. If the Lions or Giants make Blount a better offer, it makes sense that Belichick will wish him the best and that he'd leave on (reasonably) good terms.