Will Malcolm Butler get the boot?
While some of the star players for the New England Patriots are taking pay cuts, there is one that is looking to renegotiate his contract. Before Super Bowl XLIX winning catch by Malcom Butler, he was relatively unknown to many outside of his teammates. Now he may be stirring the pot by wanting more money before the 2016 season.
Originally Butler was signed as a free agent after going undrafted from West Alabama. During his 2015 season, Butler started 16 games with 15 passes defended, and two interceptions. After a solid year, Butler is looking to make more money.
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The Patriots have begun running voluntary practices but Butler has not attended one yet. Some are speculating that it’s because he is looking for more money, which may lead to a training camp hold out. However, New England is known for not tolerating this type of behavior, especially when elite players like Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski have both taken rather large pay cuts in the past.
One good season doesn’t qualify Butler to ask for more money and New England isn’t currently in a place to be shelling out money to players like Butler. These actions seem selfish. What does that say about him as a team player? If Butler is going after the money rather than showing team loyalty then maybe New England should consider other options. With rising rookies in competition like Cyrus Jones and Jonathan Jones, Butler might be making a mistake.
Butler hasn’t presented any exceptional plays since his Super Bowl catch. If Malcolm Butler is planning on negotiating based on one big play and a decent sophomore year, he isn’t going to get far with the franchise. Further speculation indicates that by not showing up for voluntary practices he is less likely to get injured which might improve his chances at a future pay day. With all the cornerbacks competing for a slot on the 52-man roster, Butler better straighten up or New England may just ship him out.
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