Malcolm Butler rejoined his New England Patriots teammates at Gillette Stadium this week. But he did so begrudgingly, according to a report.
CSNNE.com’s Mike Giardi reported Thursday the Patriots cornerback “badly” wanted to be traded to the New Orleans Saints, who showed interest in him before the 2017 NFL Draft, and only is back in New England because he has exhausted his options.
Butler waited more than a month to sign his restricted free agent tender, visiting with the Saints in the interim. He’s set to make just $3.91 million this season, nearly $10 million less than new teammate Stephon Gilmore will take home.
Gilmore, a Pro Bowl cornerback with the Buffalo Bills last season, signed a five-year, $65 million contract with the Patriots shortly after free agency opened in March.
Butler has been New England’s No. 1 cornerback since Darrelle Revis left town after the 2014 season. It will be interesting to see how or if his role will change with Gilmore now in the mix.
The Gilmore signing filled the void left by No. 2 corner Logan Ryan, who signed with the Tennessee Titans in free agency. The rest of the Patriots’ secondary should remain largely intact, as cornerbacks Eric Rowe, Cyrus Jones, Jonathan Jones and Justin Coleman, and safeties Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung and Duron Harmon all are under contract for this season.