Patriots: Best Value Players
3. a) Malcolm Butler – three-years, $1.53 million (one year remaining)
b) Logan Ryan – four-years, $2.773 million (one year remaining)
These two were just too hard to not pair up as they are one of the league’s best underpaid starting groups. The Patriots’ top two corners, Butler and Ryan, were thrown into the limelight last season following major team renovations, and they both stood up to the test. In Butler’s case, I detailed his rise to stardom in my last article, but for Ryan, he was one of the most underappreciated players on the entire Patriots squad. Ryan flashed, for instance, shutting down Denver’s Demaryius Thomas, and he proved to be a viable option as the number two cornerback in New England.
More from Musket Fire
- Patriots get steal of the night with perfect first round pick
- What trading Mac Jones during the draft can do for the Patriots
- Best and worst draft picks during the Bill Belichick era
- Early round Patriots draft picks you’ll hate now, love later
- Musket Fire Roundup: Our own final predictions for round 1
We witnessed both players’ growing pains, from Butler being out of position to Ryan getting beat in the slot, but we were fortunate to see them both develop and flash their potential. The Patriots and the fans should be incredibly content that both Butler and Ryan are making such great strides and improvements on their rookie deals. Even though they both just have one season left on their current contracts, they have amassed terrific experience and surpassed their expectations as an undrafted free agent and a second-round pick.
Power ranking offseason cornerback additions
Their current salaries have helped the Patriots build the 2014 Super Bowl champions, which they were both essential parts of, and they have helped acquire more assets for further Super Bowl runs. Whether or not they are on the team after this season, Butler and Ryan have definitely earned the right to be making way more money than they are currently, and the Patriots will get another valuable season out of both at an extremely cheap price.
Next: 2. A Trusted Pass Catcher