The talk of star cornerback Malcolm Butler leaving the New England Patriots either via trade or by way of signing an offer sheet with another team has cooled in recent days, and it is starting to seem like the team plans to hang onto the star cornerback.
At the NFL owners’ meetings on Monday, Patriots owner Robert Kraft praised Butler and said the team’s intention is not to trade him.
Robert Kraft asked about Malcolm Butler's future: "I hope he's with us." pic.twitter.com/3P6Ae0xqY5
— Phil Perry (@PhilAPerry) March 27, 2017
“I hope he’s with us and signs his offer sheet and plays for us,” Kraft said. “I have a great affection for him. He was part of probably the greatest play in the history of our team. But there are a lot of people involved in that (decision).”
When asked directly if the Patriots’ intention is to trade Butler, Kraft said “no.” That is notable because he was a bit more noncommittal when asked about the possibility of Jimmy Garoppolo being moved.
#Patriots owner Bob Kraft on trading Garoppolo: I'll leave that up to Bill Belichick
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) March 27, 2017
Even if the Patriots can’t keep Butler — a restricted free agent — beyond next season, they have a chance to roll out arguably the best secondary in the NFL if they keep him for 2017 and pair him with newly-signed cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
The New Orleans Saints are said to be very interested in Butler, but they are likely looking to get him to agree to a long-term extension and then trade for the star corner. Signing him outright would mean giving up the No. 11 overall pick, which the Saints would rather not do.
One of Butler’s posts on social media last week seemed to hint that something big had happened, but Kraft’s comments indicate he could be staying in New England for at least one more season.
