Butler plays for future
Corner won’t let contract be distraction
FOXBORO — Malcolm Butler is all in for 2017.
He won’t beat himself up over anything that happens beyond that.
“I’m here. This is my team,” Butler said yesterday after Patriots practice at Gillette Stadium.
Butler is also well-aware that he must continue his career ascension in order to corral a major payday. It’s been an enlightening offseason for the Patriots cornerback who recognized the importance of separating business from football, and has been fully committed to the Patriots.
“Most definitely, I wouldn’t have hurt anybody but myself if I missed this,” Butler said of the voluntary offseason workout program. “This is extra time to get better. That’s what I’m out here to do, to get better and have another great year. Anything to help the team, present a positive image.”
Butler surely felt burned when the Patriots handed a five-year, $65 million contract to free agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore, especially when the Pats didn’t offer Butler anything in excess of $7 million annually in 2016. However, it only took Butler a few hours to get over the Gilmore signing, and he quickly understood the business side of the NFL is typically out of a player’s control.
That point was hammered home once again when Butler took a twoday visit to the Saints in March. The sides agreed to a four-year contract worth north of $50 million, but it was entirely contingent upon a trade between the Saints and Patriots, who controlled the rights of the restricted free agent.
The Patriots never blinked at the Saints’ trade offers, as the proposals were never close enough to deal away their talented cornerback.
Did Butler want to join the Saints? Of course. The money was incredible. But when trade talks went dead during the April draft, Butler reset his sights on returning to Gillette for the offseason workout program.
The money isn’t as sweet. Butler is under contract for $3.91 million for 2017. The 27-year-old has mixed the short term with the long haul. He has a chance to become a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots, and that will be conducive to a huge paycheck next March.
Heck, Robert Kraft might even be signing those checks. There is some mutual interest in keeping their partnership alive for the long haul, but it’s still difficult to decipher the magic number. If Butler improves yet again in 2017 and forms a formidable duo with Gilmore, would the Patriots be more inclined to allocate heavy assets at the position?
Butler isn’t going to drive himself crazy about any of it.
“Just got to come here and play football,” Butler said. “You’ve got to earn everything you want. Just got to come here, work hard each and every day. Nobody is going to give you anything. Just come here, work hard and play.”
That’s what Butler did yesterday. He was the first cornerback in line during one-on-one drills, which is typically viewed as a leadership characteristic, and he frequently drew wide receiver Brandin Cooks. Butler did a nice job of taking away his assignments during team drills, but Cooks and quarteback Tom Brady beat him for a touchdown during a late 11-on-11 rep.
These moments will help Butler in three-plus months, and a good season will in turn benefit his bank account. Butler learned a hard lesson this offseason, but he responded appropriately. With the fortune of good health, he’ll eventually be paid accordingly.
“You never know what’s going to happen,” Butler said. “I would just sit back, patiently waiting, just doing what I can do, controlling only what I can control.
“I’m here now, and that’s what it is.”