Should the New England Patriots Wait on Malcolm Butler Contract Extension?

The New England Patriots are on the clock. Every day is a day closer to the beginning of the 2017 offseason, when a laundry list of big-name free agents could be taking their talents somewhere else. 

There are still 16 regular-season and up to four playoff games between now and then, and anything can happen in that period. The Patriots would be wise to stay ahead of the curve with their most important players, but with linebackers Jamie Collins and Dont’a Hightower both facing the end of their Patriots careers, cornerback Malcolm Butler might have to wait on a new deal for the time being.

Let’s start with Butler’s absence from the Patriots’ organized team activities on Thursday, couple with the note from ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss that he “wouldn’t be surprised if [Butler’s absence] was related to his contract status.” Reiss continued:

Butler has told teammates and friends he plans to push for an adjustment to his contract before the 2016 season, and staying off the field in voluntary workouts would be a decision that limits injury risk and also could be viewed as a statement to the organization that he’s unhappy with the status quo and/or the movement/specifics of contract talks. 

Butler signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2014 and is set to count $600,000 against the salary cap in 2016, according to Over the Cap. He will become a restricted free agent in 2017 if he and the Patriots are unable to reach an agreement on a new deal.

As an unrestricted free agent, Butler’s situation is complicated. Giving Butler a top-dollar contract would not be a smart move from a team perspective. The Patriots …

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