Patriots, Saints Continue To Talk Malcolm Butler Trade
The Saints and Patriots expect to continue exploring a Malcolm Butler trade, but the two sides simply might not be able to agree on trade compensation, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). JLC suggests that the Patriots’ demands for Butler could be altered by a Jimmy Garoppolo trade, but it’s not clear if that comes from first-hand knowledge of team thinking or if that is just speculative.
A deal could be hard to swing since it would likely require the Saints to pay Butler like a top cornerback and sacrifice significant draft compensation. Meanwhile, this is a strong class for cornerbacks and the secondary as a whole. The Patriots have been wheelin’ and dealin’ this offseason, but ultimately they have the option of standing pat and retaining Butler at a $3.91MM salary for the 2017 season. The Patriots are still open to a deal, as today’s report indicates, but they’re not necessarily motivated sellers and they won’t take pennies on the dollar.
The Patriots might place a draft-day deadline on talks as they may not be interested in taking on 2018 picks as compensation. That means the Butler-to-the-Saints saga (at least, for 2017) could soon be put to rest in a matter of days.
Patriots Meet With Obi Melifonwu
- The Patriots ventured to the University of Connecticut on Thursday for a meeting with safety Obi Melifonwu, according to Ryan Hannable of WEEI. New England’s not slated to pick until the third round, No. 72 overall, and Melifonwu should be long gone by then. However, trading cornerback Malcolm Butler to the Saints for the 32nd pick could put the Patriots in position to select Melifonwu.
Bills Still Mulling Mike Gillislee’s Offer Sheet
It’s widely believed that the Bills will not match Mike Gillislee‘s offer sheet from the Patriots, but no final call has been rendered. Head coach Sean McDermott told reporters today that the team is still in deliberations on the matter. 
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“Mike’s a good player. We’re in the process of evaluating the offer sheet and we’ll have a decision in a few days,” the coach said (Twitter link via team account).
Earlier this week, the Patriots inked Gillislee to a two-year offer sheet worth $6.4MM over two years. Complicating matters for the Bills is that the deal is worth $3.96875MM in year one (exact figure via Ben Volin of The Boston Globe, via Twitter). That’s less than ideal for the Bills since matching the bid will tack on another $2.2MM for the coming year over his previously scheduled $1.797MM rate. Currently, the Bills have $10.8MM in space but they still have to consider the upcoming draft and filling potential holes in late stage free agency (Twitter link).
If Gillislee is plucked away by the Patriots, the Bills will receive a fifth-round draft choice, per the terms of the original round tender. For another $1MM or so, the Bills could have placed the second-round tender on the promising young running back and likely warded off any suitors. After Gillislee averaged 5.7 yards per carry last season and proved himself a potential successor to LeSean McCoy, that probably would have been the smart play.
Patriots Notes: White, Ramczyk
- The Patriots hosted Wisconsin offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk on Tuesday, according to Rapoport (Twitter link). Offensive line is something of an underrated long-term need area for New England, especially given that incumbent left tackle Nate Solder is entering the final year of his contract. As such, the Patriots could look to secure a successor on the left side, although Ramczyk probably won’t be an option for New England unless it trades up (the Pats currently don’t have a pick until the third round). Ramczyk is viewed as one of the draft’s best tackle prospects along with Utah’s Garett Bolles and Alabama’s Cam Robinson.
James White‘s three-year extension with the Patriots is worth $12MM, but can max out at $15MM, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. White, 25, picks up $4.69MM in guaranteed money, which likely means his $690K base salary for 2017 is now fully guaranteed. A hero of New England’s Super Bowl LI victory, White rushed only 16 times is 2016 and did most of his work through the air. On 86 targets, White managed 60 receptions for 551 yards and five touchdowns.
Browns Unlikely To Trade For Veteran QB
The Browns don’t envision trading for a veteran quarterback, general manager Sashi Brown told reporters, including Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), today. Depending on Brown’s definition of the word “veteran,” that could rule out pursuits of the Patriots’ Jimmy Garoppolo and the Bengals’ A.J. McCarron.
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New England reportedly isn’t willing to deal Garoppolo, but that hasn’t stopped the Browns from inquiring. The Patriots’ price for Garoppolo has varied, but Cleveland’s No. 12 pick isn’t going to get a deal done. The Browns aren’t willing to trade the No. 1 overall pick in exchange for a quarterback, so they may simply not match up with the Patriots on a swap.
The Bengals, meanwhile, aren’t actively shopping McCarron, but are willing to trade him (and would even be comfortable shipping him within the AFC North). Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com recently hinted Cincinnati would be open to sending McCarron and the ninth overall pick to Cleveland for pick Nos. 12 and 33. Using Chase Stuart of Football Perspective‘s draft value chart, that deal would imply McCarron is worth the 44th overall selection on his own.
At present, the Browns’ depth chart at quarterback includes Cody Kessler, Kevin Hogan, and Brock Osweiler. Although Osweiler had been expected to be traded or released, Brown said today the ex-Texan will have a chance to compete for the starting QB role, tweets Marc Sessler of NFL.com. Of course, that sentiment could simply be lip service until Cleveland decides how to proceed with Osweiler.
Patriots Notes: Gillislee, Draft Visits
- The Bills need to match the Patriots’ offer sheet to restricted free agent Mike Gillislee and stop the flow of talent to New England, opines Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. The Pats signed Gillislee to a two-year, $6.4MM contract, including $4MM in 2017, after adding ex-Bills receiver and then-RFA Chris Hogan on a front-loaded deal last offseason. That worked out well for New England and poorly for Buffalo in 2016. Unlike the Hogan situation, the Bills would receive compensation for Gillislee’s departure – a fifth-round pick – but they’d lose another important member of their offense to an AFC East rival. The Bills could have avoided this situation by tendering Gillislee at a second-round level, which only would have cost them about $1MM extra, Rodak notes. In that scenario, Gillislee would have been on the Bills’ books this year at a reasonable $2.7MM.
- A couple of potential early round draft picks, Cal wide receiver Chad Hansen and Michigan cornerback Jourdan Lewis, visited the Patriots on Tuesday, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com and Doug Kyed of NESN (Twitter links). One could end up with the Patriots with their first selection, which is scheduled for No. 72 overall. Of course, the Pats are likely to acquire a much earlier pick if they trade cornerback Malcolm Butler.
Patriots To Extend James White
The Patriots have agreed to a three-year contract extension with running back James White, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Financial terms aren’t yet available, but the deal will begin in 2018 and keep the Super Bowl LI hero under New England’s control through the 2020 campaign.
White is best known for his season-ending performance versus the Falcons, against whom he caught an eye-popping 14 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown. He also added two more scores on the ground, including a 1-yard overtime plunge that gave the Patriots a 34-28 victory and locked up their fifth Lombardi Trophy.
While White was great on the sport’s biggest stage in February, he’s hardly a one-hit wonder. The 2014 fourth-round pick from Wisconsin has been a key pass-catching weapon for quarterback Tom Brady since 2015. Dating back to then, the 25-year-old has amassed 100 receptions and nine TDs, including 60 grabs and five scores last season.
White isn’t a No. 1-caliber runner, having totaled just 70 carries during his career, but he’ll undoubtedly continue serving as a key part of their passing attack going forward. Mike Gillislee could end up as New England’s go-to rusher if the Bills don’t match the offer he signed with the Patriots on Tuesday, and he’d add to a crowded backfield that already includes White, Dion Lewis and Rex Burkhead, among others.
Matt Lengel Signs ERFA Tender
- Patriots tight end Matt Lengel, Cardinals offensive tackle John Wetzel and defensive tackle Olsen Pierre, and Seahawks running backs Terrence Magee and Troymaine Pope have signed their exclusive rights free agent tenders, per Howard Balzer of BalzerFootball.com and Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
Patriots To Waive OL Tre’ Jackson
The Patriots are waiving third-year guard Tre’ Jackson, according to Doug Kyed of NESN (Twitter link).
Jackson, 24, was a fourth-round pick in 2015, and played a significant amount of snaps during his rookie campaign as he started nine games for New England. According to Pro Football Focus, Jackson was roughly average in 2015, grading as the NFL’s No. 47 guard. Knee injuries knocked Jackson out at the end of that season, however, and forced him to spend the entire 2016 campaign on the PUP list.
Because Jackson was a mid-round selection, much of his rookie contract was non-guaranteed. As such, the Patriots will only incur about $260K in dead money on their 2017 salary cap. Jackson’s release saves New England almost $500K.
Pats CB Malcolm Butler Signs RFA Tender
Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler has signed his restricted free agent tender, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. Because he was tendered at the first-round level, Butler is now scheduled to earn $3.91MM for the 2017 season.
Rival teams had until April 21 to sign Butler to an offer sheet, but any club that did so would have had to sacrifice a first-round pick to New England. The Saints were the only team that expressed any serious interest in signing Butler, as they met with the 27-year-old and discussed the parameters of a long-term deal. However, New Orleans wasn’t willing to give up the No. 11 overall pick in exchange for Butler.
Butler, can still be traded, and in fact had to sign his tender before he was allowed to be dealt. The Saints still have interest in trading for Butler, but the Patriots might place a draft-day deadline on talks, as they may not be interested in acquiring 2018 picks as compensation.
For all practical purposes, Butler’s signing of his RFA tender doesn’t change all that much, as he is still on the trade block. Had Butler not inked the tender by June 15, however, New England could have slashed his 2017 salary to just $600K.