After a noisy start to free agency things tapered off over the weekend after the Pats signed defensive lineman Lawrence Guy to a surprising four-year deal. Now the reports of Malcolm Butler being unhappy and Dont’a Hightower visiting just about every major Patriots rival are swirling as we wait to see how things play out with the two biggest internal pieces of the Patriots’ offseason.
Lawrence Guy’s payday of $5.6 million in ’17 shows how much Pats liked him https://t.co/xGgbeZeIwC #Patriots pic.twitter.com/MPOuQ5O5Xo
— ESPNBoston (@ESPNBoston) March 12, 2017
First, let’s talk a little about Guy, who I initially thought would just be a depth piece, but as Mike Reiss points out in the piece above, the length of the deal and the total amount point to the Pats seeing Guy as someone who should be a contributor. There is however no guaranteed money after the first year so expect him to come into camp with something to prove. Though it doesn’t seem like the former seventh-round pick who has bounced around the league before becoming a starter last season, plays any other way.
Guy gives the Patriots some flexibility along their defensive line, but the knock on him being a “run-stopper” doesn’t really matter in the Pats scheme. He’ll be mostly asked to play inside where he can occupy blockers and allow the perimeter players to make the plays.
Source tells me Butler & his camp remain extremely frustrated by Pats position & Gilmore signing. Courting offers elsewhere. Wants new home
— Michael Giardi (@MikeGiardi) March 13, 2017
Giardi has become the unofficial Butler spokesman the last couple days, breaking a few tweets like this that are sending Patriots fans into a tizzy. Unfortunately for Butler this is how life goes when you’re an RFA. The Pats hold all the cards and they have rarely, if ever, extended themselves to give a contract they didn’t have to give. So of course Butler would love to find a team who wants him, but wanting him and giving up the first round pick, plus whatever big payday he’s looking for is a tall order. And it gets even taller with each passing day of free agency. All things being equal, I think Butler plays for the RFA tender and then we get another dance with him next offseason which could include the franchise tag. He should’ve taken the long term deal when the Pats offered it.
If no offer sheet, Pats have him backed into a corner. Sit at home and make nothing. Or make 3.3 mil more than the 600K he made last season https://t.co/oxcjb9gUFM
— Michael Giardi (@MikeGiardi) March 13, 2017
Finally we come to Hightower, who I believed was likely going to walk this offseason. Right now I’m not so sure. If it was going to happen it probably would’ve been at the start of free agency where a team was ready to pounce with a monster offer. Instead, he’s now gone to on visits with the Titans and Jets and is now headed to the Steelers. Personally I think this is all an effort to get the Pats to up their offer any tiny amount they can.
There have been plenty of reports of teams convinced he’s just going back to the Patriots, and at this point I’m inclined to agree unless another team ups their offer considerably and the Pats say thanks but no thanks. Really, this has probably worked out for the best with Hightower. He got a chance to see what other teams think of him and the Patriots kept some good will with him by not using the franchise tag and, to this point, it looks like their offer is right there with everyone else’s.
Perhaps the Jets or someone else give him significantly more than 10/yr but barring that the industry assumption is Hightower returns to NE
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) March 13, 2017
This has to finish up in the next couple days with Hightower, but on Butler this will likely be a point of discussion into training camp.
-
28-3 (34-28 Final on Back) T-Shirt
$25.00 – $27.50 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
28-3 T-Shirt (blank back)
$20.00 – $22.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Women’s 28-3 Comeback Tee
$20.00 – $25.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
NE Spec Ops Tee
$20.00 – $25.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Butler’s agent probably wanted to be big time and get a top line deal for Butler and underestimated that he has no leverage. If they offered a deal last year after Butler had 1 good year in the league with some up front money for something like 5/$37M, he would be improving his situation over the $600k last year, $3.9M next year and $14M next yeat year he is getting. BB knew the best move was to wait it out at that point knowing he still has Butler at 2/$18M. Unfair? Maybe. But that’s how the RFA system is set up. Steelers should make an offer somewhere around 3/$30M but probably not willing to part with a 1st rounder.
As far as Jimmy G do you see BB giving in and taking the 12th and a 2nd from the Browns at this point? I don’t. I think he would stick to his guns. I want him to take the 12th since I believe Brady is viable another 3 years and Brisset has some promise to be a starting caliber QB so max out on JG10 but don’t see it happening.
As much as I’d love the 12th pick (which they’d probably trade down and get a late 1st, 2nd, etc.) I am thinking Garoppolo is staying put this offseason.
I think the patriots and Cleveland are talking as we speak! I believe brisset will b ready to back up Brady and the patriots will b dealing JG 10 and butler to Cleveland for 6 picks!