Malcolm Butler and 15 Others Sit Out Voluntary OTAs

[BigKen]

Contract talk or just not wanting to chance an injury prior to mandatory minim camp?

Butler will be a restricted free agent after 2016. He's making $600,000 this year which is less than the first three draft picks. Might be a good move for the Patriots to offer a 3 year deal worth $10M and make this guy a life time Patriots. Collins, Hightower, Ryan, and about 8 others will be FAs and it would seem to be a good move to at least attempt something now. Could probably get these guys for 75 cents on a dollar and sign them for 5 years if they just did a little something.

 

[Yankee Traveler]

I appreciate his position and situation, but his best bet is to practice hard and play hard.

Otherwise...see Asante Samuel...made some extra money, playing on scrub teams.

 

[Southieinnc]

As usual, we don't know what is going on behind closed doors. I don't believe NE is doing nothing.....

 

[SDGuy73]

I appreciate his position and situation, but his best bet is to practice hard and play hard.

Otherwise...see Asante Samuel...made some extra money, playing on scrub teams.

Seeing as he is making peanuts......I say he should do whatever he feels is best for him and his family. One injury and it could all go away.

It's easy for fans to say shut up and play. And I certainly feel that way when players have already made a lot of money. But when you haven't....

 

[cdumler7]

Contract talk or just not wanting to chance an injury prior to mandatory minim camp?

Butler will be a restricted free agent after 2016. He's making $600,000 this year which is less than the first three draft picks. Might be a good move for the Patriots to offer a 3 year deal worth $10M and make this guy a life time Patriots. Collins, Hightower, Ryan, and about 8 others will be FAs and it would seem to be a good move to at least attempt something now. Could probably get these guys for 75 cents on a dollar and sign them for 5 years if they just did a little something.

Are you saying a 3-year deal worth $10 million total or a 3-year $10 million per year deal? If we are talking 75 cents on the dollar then the 2nd one would be about right. If we are talking the first one then we are talking just pennies on the dollar for his position.

 

[CreepCreep2014]

I understand Butlers position in all this, but it's not the way to get things done. Sure he deserves and increase in pay, but they can wait on restructuring his deal. If he skipped OTAs in protest, prob not the smartest thing. BB hates this kind of shit. Don't forget, he was left out last yr because he was late. Just not the way NE does business.

I am also a little concerned that NE has not spoken to him about a raise or anything. Have they spoken to anyone yet? I just wish at times they would get these guys done before the market goes off, and with the cap a lot higher next yr, HT and Collins are going to get paid a ton. I guess Butler and one of HT/Collins will be back next yr. They might have to tag Collins or HT.

 

[cdumler7]

I understand Butlers position in all this, but it's not the way to get things done. Sure he deserves and increase in pay, but they can wait on restructuring his deal. If he skipped OTAs in protest, prob not the smartest thing. BB hates this kind of shit. Don't forget, he was left out last yr because he was late. Just not the way NE does business.

I am also a little concerned that NE has not spoken to him about a raise or anything. Have they spoken to anyone yet? I just wish at times they would get these guys done before the market goes off, and with the cap a lot higher next yr, HT and Collins are going to get paid a ton. I guess Butler and one of HT/Collins will be back next yr. They might have to tag Collins or HT.

For these players this is where I think they get terrible advice from agents. They tell the player that this is the only card they have to play to get the team's attention. I'm kind of like you in to me sometimes actually showing up and showing you want to be with this team and lead sends a much louder message. Now given a team can take advantage of that and yes there is a lot more risk of injury. There are ways though of sitting out in some of the more aggressive drills yet still being with you team and being in the meetings. The Broncos have that going on with our ILB Brandon Marshall right now in he wants a contract and thought about skipping OTA's but decided it was better for him to show up and just skip some drills.

I will say I do feel for the players who are caught in this type of situation with being a RFA and really not having a ton of options. But it is the way of the NFL and how so many of the good teams continue to stay under the cap in having a good chunk of the roster on controlled contracts that allow them to pay the big bucks elsewhere. Only so much money to go around.

 

[CreepCreep2014]

I am all for a guy playing out his contract that he signed. However, I am also for a player to get an increase in pay for doing his job above expectations. Sort of like my job, I perform, show up, I get a raise. Butler certainly is a top 6/7 CB in the league? He makes less than every other CB in the top 10. What pisses me off is the way the Patriots handle guys like him. He should not have to sit out of OTAs to get the teams attention that he wants a pay raise. BB and Kraft should have been all over that once the season ended. I am not talking a new contract, but at least a pay raise. The fact Butler has done this, shows me they have not even talked to him!!! Yet we has a POS OT in Cannon making 5m who is unable to get out of his stance.....All we heard about was how they couldn't sign Revis because they wanted to sign other guys...well what are they waiting for. Then again Kraft stated that and I really don't believe a word he says anymore....bottom line is, sometime the Patriot is way is not always the best.

 

[cdumler7]

I am all for a guy playing out his contract that he signed. However, I am also for a player to get an increase in pay for doing his job above expectations. Sort of like my job, I perform, show up, I get a raise. Butler certainly is a top 6/7 CB in the league? He makes less than every other CB in the top 10. What pisses me off is the way the Patriots handle guys like him. He should not have to sit out of OTAs to get the teams attention that he wants a pay raise. BB and Kraft should have been all over that once the season ended. I am not talking a new contract, but at least a pay raise. The fact Butler has done this, shows me they have not even talked to him!!! Yet we has a POS OT in Cannon making 5m who is unable to get out of his stance.....All we heard about was how they couldn't sign Revis because they wanted to sign other guys...well what are they waiting for. Then again Kraft stated that and I really don't believe a word he says anymore....bottom line is, sometime the Patriot is way is not always the best.

I honestly think Elway has taken a lot of what New England does and applies it to the Broncos. They are both teams that are very cold and calculated when it comes to contracts. They are not going to overpay for talent but that also means they are going to tick off some players along the way and watch them walk out the door. I also wish I could see my team negotiate with a player earlier rather than later. You can usually get a much more team friendly deal if you are willing to go a year early as the player wants to get paid and take away the injury risk. Still can't argue with success.

 

[BigKen]

Butler at $600K is ridiculous. He's shown that he's in the top 10 cover backs in the NFL. Rather than sit back and smile and say he's locked for two more years, they really need to step up, and offer him a 5 year deal with a bonus. Give him a $10M up front bonus and 5 years $40M. That's a $10M a year payday. He goes from $1.2M for 2016 & 2017 to $26M. Now you have a happy multi-millionaire who will be with you until 2021.

 

[CreepCreep2014]

Again, not asking to redo his contract now, they don't have too. Kick him some extra money shows good faith and will go a long way. Apparently he is at OTAs this week, and last week had nothing to do with his contract.

I also read that by extending Collins and Sheard the Pats can lower their salary cap. Yet Cannon makes 5m a yr...