Cooks may end up being very necessary. Edelman turns 31 in May and is a FA after this season. Amendola is also old and probably in his last go round. I think Cooks represents a huge upgrade at a position that is probably 1 year away from needing it.
Perhaps BB has more information than you have.It's ridiculous and probable, which stinks. If this were a straight-up Butler-for-Cooks swap, I wouldn't like it - a talented CB for an unnecessary, but very talented WR is poor value - and this compensation is worse than that. Combine that with the fact that Butler, by all accounts I've read, was frustrated last year but didn't let it get in the way, and has said to be willing to focus and be a good soldier in 2017, and I REALLY don't understand why BB would be willing to settle for less.
Totally agreed.It's ridiculous and probable, which stinks. If this were a straight-up Butler-for-Cooks swap, I wouldn't like it - a talented CB for an unnecessary, but very talented WR is poor value - and this compensation is worse than that. Combine that with the fact that Butler, by all accounts I've read, was frustrated last year but didn't let it get in the way, and has said to be willing to focus and be a good soldier in 2017, and I REALLY don't understand why BB would be willing to settle for less.
I agree with the thrust of this...if BB believes that Butler would be a positive force on the team in 2017.Totally agreed.
No way you give Butler up for less than a 1st. He's one of the premier cornerbacks in the league and he's very, very affordable in 2017.
If the Saints are having second thoughts and they're only willing to trade picks lower than 32, just keep Butler opposite Gilmore and shut every quarterback down in 2017.
I suspect on draft day there may be another team (or several teams) that reach out to the Patriots about Butler. A lot of teams drafting in the mid-to-late first round need help at CB right now.
Sure sounds like it's coming out of NO.That's a weird way to phrase a tweet declaring that Butler is probably not moving.
So this basically means they have a verbal agreement or agreement in principle contingent on a trade? Sounds like a lot of work left to do. Worse comes to worst at least he is officially Pats property for the 2017 season. Only issue will be if he holds out, which I tend to doubt.Ian RapoportVerified account @RapSheet 2m2 minutes ago
Ian Rapoport Retweeted Around The NFL
#Saints & Butler have a multi-year deal agreed to, pending trade. At this point, trade appears unlikely from all sides.
They seem to be messaging through Peter King as well. Latest from PFT:Sure sounds like it's coming out of NO.
Good point re timing. Talking about #42 in the abstract is one thing. Talking about it in real time based on who is left may be another entirely.This will either come to fruition or fall apart on day 2 of the draft (Friday). We are close enough now that both sides undoubtedly have specific players they are targeting at #42 (and at every pick, for that matter). If that player(s) is available to the Saints. they'll probably take him and move on. If not, they will call NE at the last minute and see if a deal can get done, which will depend on if NE's player(s) is available or not.
Abstract pics become less valuable right before the draft, while specific players become more valuable.
weakIn unrelated news, I have a marriage agreement with Mila Kunis in principle, just awaiting the details of negotiating a wife-swap with Ashton Kutcher. Barring any hold-out by my wife, too, of course. But really, it's just around the corner!
I think Saints have played this well, as has Butler. If he has agreed to a contract, Butler psychologically is out the door.I can't believe the Saints went through all the trouble of hosting Butler and negotiating a contract for him and yet aren't willing to give up the draft capital. It's almost like they didn't think the Patriots were going to hold them over a barrel and demand proper compensation for a player of Butler's caliber. At this time this is different than the Jamie Collins situation. Butler has actually proven he's top 5 at his position and he has a full year of control. It was apparent Collins wasn't putting up the effort and was causing problems. Belichick cashed in what he could in order to just get rid of the problem. The risk the Patriots are taking is that Butler causes those same problems into the season as he's worried an injury could cost him the big payday. I don't see that happening with Butler, but maybe I'm wearing Patriots-colored glasses. I just think Butler is wired differently than Collins.
I love how Howe starts with "Here's what we know" and then fills the article with a bunch of speculation.As momentum appears to be shifting with Malcolm Butler's situation, it's still difficult to decipher if a potential trade is dead or if the Patriots and Saints are posturing in the days before the draft.
Here's what we know. Butler and the Saints have had a deal in place worth north of $50 million, contingent upon the execution of a trade between the Pats and Saints, according to sources. The Saints were never going to sign Butler to an offer sheet because it would have cost them the No. 11 pick in the draft.
From there, the Saints have picks at Nos. 32, 42 and 76. It remains unclear how much the Saints would be willing to surrender to pry Butler from the Patriots, or how much the Patriots would require to send Butler to the Saints. Obviously, with the two teams having the chance to negotiate over the weekend, they haven't found a resolution.
The Saints don't want to give up a high pick (or a combination of high picks) and the huge contract for Butler, particularly with cornerback Delvin Breaux set to be a restricted free agent after the 2017 season. On the other side of the table, the Patriots don't want to give up a quality cornerback for less-than-fair compensation when he is on the books for $3.91 million in 2017 and would help them field one of the best defensive backfields in the NFL.
The reason the Patriots have been willing to trade Butler is because it'll be challenging to sign him to a contract extension before he hits unrestricted free agency next spring. That task was made all the more difficult last month when they signed cornerback Stephon Gilmore to a five-year, $65 million pact worth $40 million guaranteed. At this point in the process, it's unlikely Butler would take less than that from the Patriots, even if he'd take less from another team. That's the business element Butler and the Patriots have encountered after failed negotiations over the past year, as well as the Gilmore deal.
http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/patriots/the_blitz/2017/04/its_possible_the_patriots_will_keep_malcolm_butler_in_2017_after
I'm no expert, but CB may not be the Saints' greatest area of need, whereas in the draft's first round, in theory, good help is available everywhere.Does Brees and his 'window' play into this at all? Win now has been a Saints theme with Drew aging. How does this play in NOLA if the Saints are seen as penny-pinching when they can land a top-5 corner to help them win? I have to believe they are posturing but that this gets done by the draft.
Remember the good ol' days when NE seemed to have two No. 1s in every draft?
This may have already been said, but it seems like Gilmore and Cooks are players they'd need for 2018 and beyond, but they were available now so they got them now. Someone might offer Butler 4 or 5 years next year's and maybe BB won't go passed 3. So 2017 we're stacked at CB, and BB has two offseasons to find a normal #2 CB. For Cooks, Amendola and Edelman are getting up there.Through all of this I am glad for one thing: it seems like BB has realized the value of having a true top end CB is much higher than he thought several years ago. His preemptive pounce on Gilmore lends me to think he believes replacing Butler is an absolute necessity.
Interestingly, this statement is also true with respect to an Alex Rodriguez for Tom Brady trade.Zack CoxVerified account @ZackCoxNESN 21m21 minutes ago
Speaking on SportsCenter, @AdamSchefter said a Malcolm Butler trade to the Saints is "unlikely ... but not impossible."
Thankfully, he's not going anywhere.So, now or never for jimmy?
That was definitely the consensus view going into the 2016 season, but there was an awful lot of talk the first handful of games that he looked terrible.The consensus view of Jamie Collins up until the day he was traded was that he was, at least, one of the most important players to the 2016 Patriots defense. .
Only from Mike Lombardi, really. And Collins' game against Houston was one of the best he played in a Patriots uniform - he was everywhere with Hightower out.That was definitely the consensus view going into the 2016 season, but there was an awful lot of talk the first handful of games that he looked terrible.
Outside of the Houston game there was enough conversation about why he was invisible other weeks if he can do that. There was also the stain of the Denver AFCC where he got smoked twice by an 85 year old TE.Only from Mike Lombardi, really. And Collins' game against Houston was one of the best he played in a Patriots uniform - he was everywhere with Hightower out.
99% of the negative Collins stuff came out after the trade.
There's 30 other teams that might have interest when a first round draft pick isn't included in the cost. I highly doubt it changes Butler's mindset regarding an extension.So, with the Saints drafting Lattimore, does that squash the idea that they would sign Butler to a $50 million dollar contract next year? Or more to the point, does that draft pick incentivize Butler to sign an extension with the Patriots this year?
Yeah at this point Butler has to take this to UFA. I think he will realize in UFA that he isn't going to get paid like Gilmore, but he has to see that for himself.There's 30 other teams that might have interest when a first round draft pick isn't included in the cost. I highly doubt it changes Butler's mindset regarding an extension.
The Buffalo game thread would beg to differ.99% of the negative Collins stuff came out after the trade.
I checked - Collins was mentioned once in the game thread, not at all individually in the goat thread, though plenty of vitriol for the front seven and defense in general. Hightower got called out way more.The Buffalo game thread would beg to differ.
OK, that's fair - we'll call it 2%.For sure, no one who gets paid to cover the team had a clue but Reiss noting the snap count weirdness accounts for the 1% or maybe even a little more.
The draft fell right for the Saints, so they won their bet. I'd rather have these picks, use the 11 on Lattimore, and pay him an estimated $15 including $9 MM signing bonus than pay Malcom Butler $50 million.FWIW from Albert Breer. Interesting that the Pats reportedly didn't want the 1st. Have to figure that they didn't want to pay the 5th year option on the 1st rounder so the 2nd rounder+ is better value.
Albert BreerVerified account @AlbertBreer 14s14 seconds ago
Replying to @AlbertBreer
10) With Lattimore in NOLA, Malcolm Butler deal is probably dead. But worth mentioning: Pats didn’t want 32. They wanted 42 + another pick.
Oh so would I. Next year they could have both if they want to without giving up any draft capital.The draft fell right for the Saints, so they won their bet. I'd rather have these picks, use the 11 on Lattimore, and pay him an estimated $15 including $9 MM signing bonus than pay Malcom Butler $50 million.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonbelzer/2017/04/28/2017-nfl-draft-1st-round-rookie-salary-projections/#78f83f826f04