Patriots News: Indianapolis Colts picked as best free agent fit for Malcolm Butler
New England Patriots News: ESPN recently put together an article listing the best fits for potential free agents and Malcolm Butler’s best fit may surprise you.
Recent New England Patriots news takes a look into the future, 2018 NFL Free Agency to be exact. The Patriots made some great moves this past offseason. Their biggest splash was signing Stephon Gilmore away from the Buffalo Bills. They also traded for Brandin Cooks to add another weapon on the offense.
What plans could the Patriots have this offseason? It is too early to tell, as the Patriots still have business to handle this season. However, it is never too early to begin looking into what could happen in free agency.
Some teams are out of the playoff race and already beginning preparations for the 2018 NFL Draft and free agency. The Patriots aren’t one of them, but they have some players that could be intriguing for other teams. One of those players is cornerback Malcolm Butler.
New England Patriots
Butler was a restricted free agent last offseason. The Patriots and Butler were unable to agree to a long-term deal, so he will be a free agent once again this upcoming offseason.
Last year, Butler and the New Orleans Saints had contract talks, but nothing came to fruition. There were trades discussed, as the Patriots and Saints had already completed a trade involving Cooks.
Ultimately, Butler remained with the Patriots. Here is what Field Yates of ESPN had to say about the 27-year old Butler.
"Since becoming a full-time starter in 2015, Butler has emerged as one of the NFL’s better talents at the position. He’s long and athletic, with good technique at the point of the catch. The Patriots and Butler were unable to agree to terms on a long-term deal last offseason and he flirted with the Saints during restricted free agency. A return to New England shouldn’t be dismissed entirely."
It is too early to determine what the Patriots intentions with Butler will be in free agency. It would be a little surprising to see them dump another big contract into the cornerback position after signing Gilmore last offseason.
What also makes it unlikely is that the Patriots have other holes on their roster they could look to fill. However, as Yates states, a return to the Patriots cannot be ruled out entirely. No one thought they were in the market for Gilmore last season either.
Butler would be a great fit for a number of teams. He became a household name with his interception of Russell Wilson in Super Bowl 49. Plenty of teams would love to have a player of Butler’s caliber.
In the same article, Yates picked the best fit for some of the best potential free agents. For Butler, Yates picked the Indianapolis Colts as the best fit.
"Colts. While Indianapolis has made quiet strides in recent weeks on defense, it’s clear the unit is still a few pieces of established talent away from being at a level that can help Indianapolis consistently make the postseason. General manager Chris Ballard will likely seek linebackers this offseason, but Butler would be yet another smart add via free agency to go along with Johnathan Hankins, John Simon and Jabaal Sheard, among others, from last offseason."
With Vontae Davis gone, the Colts could use a veteran cornerback to help fill out their secondary. Butler would accomplish that goal and give the Patriots an experienced player for the younger guys to lean on.
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You can guarantee that Butler will find a robust market this offseason. He will be one of the best defensive players available and will command No. 1 cornerback money.