Patriots Hosting Rex Burkhead On Visit
The Patriots are hosting running back Rex Burkhead on a visit today, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. This marks the second known visit for Burkhead after he met with the Falcons over the weekend. 
With LeGarrette Blount and Brandon Bolden in free agent limbo, the Pats are in the market for a running back or two. Right now, the Pats’ RB depth chart is topped by James White and Dion Lewis with 2016 UDFA D.J. Foster in support. Burkhead could be given a chance to compete for the top job in NE if he joins the Pats and Blount is not re-signed.
Last year, after Giovani Bernard went down, Burkhead proved to be a solid and efficient tailback. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry on the year for the Bengals, setting himself up as one of the young running backs on the open market this year.
Burkhead was our No. 7 UFA running back this year, behind Eddie Lacy, Adrian Peterson, LeGarrette Blount, Latavius Murray, Jamaal Charles, Darren McFadden, and Jacquizz Rodgers. He was slotted ahead of notables like Rashad Jennings, Danny Woodhead, and DeAngelo Williams.
Dont’a Hightower Visits Titans
Dont’a Hightower visited with the Jets this weekend and he’s spent time with Titans, but it doesn’t necessarily sound like he’ll be signing with either team. After both meetings, the Jets and Titans left convinced he’ll re-sign with the Patriots, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This jibes with an earlier report which said an unknown team in the mix for Hightower has the same impression. 
At this point, it sounds like the linebacker may be looking to drum up a high-priced offer to take back to the Patriots. However, if the Titans and Jets do not believe they can lure him away, they might be unwilling to submit a formal offer.
Right now, league-wide belief is that Hightower will circle back to the Pats on a deal worth about $10MM per year. That would be less money than anticipated before March 9, but other players at the top of the market have also had to settle for less. For example, top wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and Terrelle Pryor both settled for unimpressive one-year deals after rumblings of lucrative multi-year pacts.
Hightower finished the 2016 campaign with 65 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and one forced fumble in 13 games. Before the start of free agency, we listed him as the best available linebacker in our free agent positional rankings.
Latest On Malcolm Butler, Patriots
Malcolm Butler is informing teams he wants a Stephon Gilmore-level deal, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports (on Twitter). The RFA cornerback’s agent is contacting teams trying to find one willing to fork over a first-round pick for his client, per La Canfora (via Twitter), although this shouldn’t be deemed as especially unusual.
However, Butler might not be happy with his currently employer after the Patriots signed the Bills’ previous No. 1 corner to a lucrative contract. The fourth-year player’s camp, per Michael Giardi of CSNNE.com (Twitter link), is “extremely frustrated” by the Patriots’ current position and their decision to add Gilmore on a big deal.
La Canfora adds the Patriots would likely be OK with another team signing Butler to an offer sheet and collecting a first-round pick by refusing to match. They sent their 2017 first-rounder to the Saints for Brandin Cooks and moved their second-round choice in a deal for Kony Ealy during an action-packed Friday for the franchise.
This gels with what a report earlier today indicating the Pats and Butler’s opinions of what an extension would cost to keep him differ. Gilmore signed for five years and $65MM — which is quite a bit of a commitment for a team that doesn’t usually sign other teams’ UFAs to lavish long-term deals — while Butler is attached to a first-round tender ($3.91MM) he’s yet to sign.
No trade can occur until Butler signs his tender, but a trade commencing between the Patriots and a team willing to give Butler a big contract is more likely than a scenario where a team signs the 27-year-old former UDFA to an offer sheet and New England doesn’t match, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (on Twitter). Butler and his agent are free to try and create a trade/subsequent new contract, Volin notes (Twitter link).
The Patriots may not be especially keen on employing two corners on eight-figure-AAV deals considering their recent actions involving impending high-end UFAs. New England traded Chandler Jones and Jamie Collins, watching those talents’ second NFL teams retain them at steep prices. The Patriots have only two defenders making more than $5MM per year, and both play in the secondary — Gilmore and Devin McCourty ($9MM-plus AAV). This further points to a potential path out of New England for Butler. The Pats and Dont’a Hightower also remain engaged in discussions on a deal that would make the linebacker a third highly paid New England defender.
But for now, Butler is tethered to the defending Super Bowl champions. The Patriots can withdraw their tender offer to Butler on June 15 and pay him 110 percent of his 2016 salary ($600K), so there will be some movement in this looming impasse by then.
Dont’a Hightower Meeting With Jets
Linebacker Dont’a Hightower is currently visiting the Jets, reports CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (via Twitter). The meeting is expected to “wrap up” on Monday. We learned earlier today that New York was one of the two “favorites” (along with the Patriots) to sign the free agent.
We’ve been hearing throughout the offseason that the Patriots are interested in retaining Hightower, and La Canfora notes that New England is still very interested in retaining the defender. The former first-rounder finished the 2016 campaign with 65 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and one forced fumble in 13 games. We listed him as the best available linebacker in our free agent positional rankings.
The Jets have seemed to prioritize making their roster younger throughout the offseason. While Hightower, 27, isn’t a spring chicken, he’s still young enough to fit into the team’s long-term game plan. The Jets haven’t been big spenders in free agency, so they’d have plenty of money to throw at the Pro Bowler.
They’ll presumably have to offer a contract that drastically exceeds that of the Patriots, and it’s important to remember that New England is still operating with a good chunk of cap room. La Canfora notes that teams around the NFL are assuming Hightower will return to New England on a contract that pays $10MM a season.
If Hightower did sign with the Patriots’ division rival, he’d be joining a linebacker corps that currently features starters Sheldon Richardson, David Harris, Darron Lee, and Jordan Jenkins. Seth Walder of The New York Daily News writes that if the team does sign Hightower, they might move on from Harris. The veteran is a long-time member of the Jets defense, but the team could save $6.5MM against the cap by cutting him loose.
Patriots, Butler Have "Difference Of Opinion" On Extension
- The Patriots and Malcolm Butler “have a difference of opinion” when it comes to the value of a potential contract extension for the cornerback, writes ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss. Reports from last week indicated that the organization hadn’t reached out to Butler’s camp in a while.
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Jets, Patriots In Lead For Dont’a Hightower
The Jets and Patriots are currently the favorites to land free agent linebacker Dont’a Hightower, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter). However, La Canfora notes that several other clubs are closely monitoring the situation.
We learned yesterday that New England was still interested in re-signing Hightower, who was named to his first Pro Bowl this season. The Alabama product finished the 2016 campaign with 65 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and one forced fumble in 13 games, and he was listed as the best available linebacker in our free agent positional rankings. Until today, however, no one other than the Patriots had been definitively connected to Hightower (although another AFC East club, the Dolphins, have been mentioned as a possible fit).
Needless to say, the Jets and Patriots are in very different places as far as their immediate championship prospects, so Gang Green may have to outbid New England by a wide margin if they want to lure Hightower away from Foxborough. The Patriots, though, still have plenty of money to spend, and none of their other options offer the type of production that Hightower does from the middle linebacker spot, so they may be inclined to match a larger offer from another club, even if they were unwilling to use the franchise or transition tag on Hightower. New England typically embraces a “next man up” philosophy, but the team may make an exception in this case.
The market is capped for a non-rush ‘backer like Hightower, but he is among the best at what he does, and he has also been lauded for his intangibles. Coming off another Super Bowl championship, he may be willing to join a rebuilding team like the Jets if the money is right. However, just yesterday we heard that one team involved in Hightower talks is convinced he will remain with the Pats.
Contract Details For Lawrence Guy
- Lawrence Guy, DL (Patriots): Four years, $19MM. Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (via Twitter) reports that Guy receives a fully-guaranteed $4.9MM in 2017, but that the total base value of his contract is $13.4MM, with the chance to reach $19MM with $1.4MM playing-time incentives each year. As Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets, Guy’s deal effectively amounts to a one-year pact, as the final three years of the contract are non-guaranteed. Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets that Guy receives a $4MM signing bonus.
AFC East Rumors: Cutler, Hightower, Bills
The team most linked to Jay Cutler now that he’s a first-time free agent, the Jets may be split on acquiring the former Broncos and Bears quarterback. Gang Green is intrigued by the 12th-year passer, and the feeling is believed to be mutual. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News notes a faction of the Jets wants the 33-year-old Cutler on the roster, linking former Broncos and Bears assistant Jeremy Bates — the Jets’ new quarterbacks coach — to being in the pro-Cutler camp. The Jets, though, aren’t presently inclined to spend much on Cutler, with Mehta noting if he were available for “a few million” the Jets’ brass would probably sign him. Cutler played three seasons of the seven-year, $126MM Bears deal he signed in 2014.
Here’s more from the Jets and some of their division rivals.
- One team involved in talks with UFA linebacker Dont’a Hightower is convinced he will sign to stay with the Patriots, Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com tweets. Breer doesn’t specify the team here, but the Patriots have been connected to the sixth-year ‘backer throughout free agency despite not placing the franchise tag on him. New England has been the only known team to be pursuing Hightower. While there are surely others in the hunt for a top-level free agent, none have been revealed yet.
- Lorenzo Alexander expects the two-year, $9MM contract he signed with the Bills to be his last. “I see myself walking off into the sunset and transitioning into life after football after I’m done,” the soon-to-be 34-year-old pass-rusher said, per Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. The Bills re-signed the 2016 wonder despite being set to shift to a 4-3 defense. Prior to last season, Alexander (12.5 sacks in ’16) had nine career sacks in nine seasons.
- The Jets would be interested in acquiring Trevor Siemian from the Broncos in the event they sign or trade for Tony Romo, Mehta reports. Unloading a late-round pick for Siemian would be something the Jets would consider. Cutler might be the Jets’ backup plan behind Siemian, Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com reported earlier this week. But there are a lot of moving parts to this string of deals, one that became murkier when the Texans cleared eight figures in cap space via their unorthodox Brock Osweiler trade. That opens the door for Houston to pursue Romo, and it’s unlikely the team will look to move Tom Savage in that event. The Broncos, though, would have less use for Siemian if they land Romo since Paxton Lynch is still tentatively viewed as their quarterback of the future. Siemian has two years remaining on his rookie contract.
- In addition to keeping Alexander, the Bills re-upped right tackle Jordan Mills on Saturday.
NFC Notes: D-Jax, Eagles, Patterson, Saints
It hasn’t been an overly positive week for the Redskins, who became the first team in NFL history to lose two 1,000-yard receivers from the previous year in the same offseason. They lost Chris Baker and fired GM Scot McCloughan as well. Washington, though, did add Terrelle Pryor on a one-year deal, and before DeSean Jackson‘s Buccaneers agreement became finalized made a late push to keep him, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Reports continued to push Jackson out of Washington due to salary escalation, and the Bucs’ three-year, $33.5MM deal (with $20MM in guarantees) proved to be what the 30-year-old deep threat preferred.
Here’s more from the NFC.
- The Eagles attempted to trade Mychal Kendricks in yet another offseason but saw most of his 2017 salary become guaranteed on Friday. A Kendricks trade would create just $1.8MM in cap space, but a source tells Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com there’s still a chance he’s dealt. The 26-year-old played just 27 percent of Philly’s defensive snaps last season.
- Cordarrelle Patterson has visited three teams — the Redskins, Raiders and Bears — but may want to stay with the Vikings. The fifth-year wideout/return man said on Snapchat (via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press), “All I am hearing is stay with the Vikings!! Trust me I want to… But we all know business is business … So what you (going to) do, Rick.” It’s safe assume “Rick” is Vikings GM Rick Spielman. The Vikings did not pick up Patterson’s fifth-year option in 2016, but given his productivity as a return man (five career kick-return touchdowns, two first-team All-Pro distinctions), it’s reasonable to suggest the Vikes would want him back at a price cheaper than the $7.915MM it would have cost them to pick up that option.
- Rex Burkhead visited the Falcons today, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. This marks the first update on Burkhead since he became a free agent. He rated as PFR’s No. 7 UFA running back this year. Given a bigger role with the Bengals after Giovani Bernard went down, Burkhead averaged 4.6 yards per carry last season and gained 489 yards from scrimmage on 91 touches. The Falcons, of course, have one of the best backfields in football, so Burkhead wouldn’t stand to leapfrog Devonta Freeman or Tevin Coleman.
- Prior to Marcus Cooper signing with the Bears, the Saints expressed interest in the fifth-year cornerback, Herbie Teope of NOLA.com reports.
- The NFL will strip the Patriots of the fourth-round pick they acquired from the Saints (No. 118) in the Brandin Cooks deal. (This represents the last Deflategate penalty.) But Mike Florio of Pro Football talk argued the Saints should have worked the phones to attempt to trade down from that spot. However, the trade became official on Saturday afternoon. The pick will now essentially disappear, unless New England acquires a higher fourth-round pick. The Patriots must forfeit their highest fourth-round pick, which was No. 132 prior to the Cooks trade, as part of the Deflategate penalty. Florio argues the Saints should have called teams that picked in between Nos. 119-131 to trade down — thus sending that selection to the Patriots — while picking up a minor return from another team in doing so.
Patriots To Sign Lawrence Guy
The Patriots have agreed to sign defensive lineman Lawrence Guy to a four-year deal worth up to $20MM, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Guy, 27, next week, had been linked to a number of teams during the free agent period, but the Ravens were reportedly monitoring his market and had interest in re-signing him. Instead, Guy will head to New England after visiting with the club earlier this week. Guy, who ranked as PFR’s No. 12 interior defender, also drew interest from the Redskins and Dolphins.
The Patriots are revamping their defensive line after finishing just 26th in adjusted sack rate in 2016. After re-signing defensive tackle Alan Branch to a two-year deal, New England also traded for Panthers defensive end Kony Ealy. While they’ve lost Jabaal Sheard to the Colts, the Patriots still boast Trey Flowers, Malcom Brown, and Geneo Grissom.
Guy hasn’t missed a game over the past two seasons, earning 16 combined starts for the Ravens. After recording 4.5 sacks during the 2015 campaign, Guy finished the 2016 season with 28 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.