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The New England Patriots should extend both Malcolm Butler and Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason

By Logan Jakubajtys

Jan 14, 2017; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) and quarterback Tom Brady (12) walk to the field before the AFC Divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 14, 2017; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) and quarterback Tom Brady (12) walk to the field before the AFC Divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /
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Most of the 2017 offseason chatter for the New England Patriots has been around Malcolm Butler and Jimmy Garoppolo. Now, both should be extended.

The New England Patriots have made a few things clear this offseason. One is that they love Malcolm Butler and want him to remain a Patriot for as long as they can.

The second, is that the team clearly views Jimmy Garoppolo as the QB of the future to replace Tom Brady. Otherwise, he would have been traded to the Cleveland Browns.

The Butler Saga

Malcolm Butler was surely a little upset when the Patriots chose to pay Stephon Gilmore as much as they did (five-years, $65 million), essentially making him the clear #1 corner on the team. Butler then held off on signing his tender as he visited with the New Orleans Saints.

Reports in recent days suggest that Butler “badly” wanted the Patriots to trade him to New Orleans.

The Saints would have had to given up a first-round pick if they signed Butler, so the move was never made. The two sides were also unable to workout a trade deal.

Now, Malcolm Butler has returned to work as a member of the New England Patriots. He has showed up for voluntary workouts and is said to be “all in” as a member of the Patriots in 2017.

The Patriots would love to retain Butler, and if he truly wants to win he’d be willing to work out a deal. New England should use the remainder of this offseason to focus on a Butler extension.

According to Pats Cap, the unofficial go to source for Patriots cap space news, the team still has about $20 million left in cap space on the year. That certainly leaves room for the Patriots to extend Butler.

Realistically, I believe the Patriots could give Malcolm Butler a four or five-year deal worth $9 million a year. He still will not be making as much as Gilmore, but he’d become a strong half of one of the best CB duos in the NFL. It’s a deal that both sides would be smart to accept.

What’s Next for Garoppolo?

The New England Patriots obviously believe Jimmy Garoppolo is the QB of the future. They had plenty of chances to send him away in a trade for a huge draft pick haul, but instead they chose to hang on.

The Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans and Chicago Bears were all looking for quarterbacks, and surely they each sent a few offers New England’s way. No deal.

More from New England Patriots

Garoppolo will be a free agent at the end of the 2017 season, where he’d likely walk unless the Patriots chose to franchise tag him. That would be a hefty price for a backup for one season.

Tom Brady wants to play four or five more seasons in the NFL. He hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down yet, but you never know when that’s going to come. The 39 year old QB could falter this season, or next, or three years from now. Either way, the Patriots want to be set up for success in the post-Brady era.

I believe things could shake out this way. Tom Brady plays three more seasons before Garoppolo takes over. Once Jimmy G is the QB, a new backup will be needed, and he will actually be the one to usher in a new era. Garoppolo can be a gap-filler between Tom Brady and whoever else in the future. In the meantime, Garoppolo will continue learning from Brady and will be able to pass on that knowledge to the next man up.

The Patriots actual QB of the future, could still be in high school. That said, you never know what can happen, and Garoppolo is a solid choice to replace Brady. The Patriots should look to extend Jimmy G with a four or five year deal.

Next: Malcolm Butler #99 in NFL's Top 100

The future for both Malcolm Butler and Jimmy Garoppolo is not extremely clear right now, but with how things have shaken out the Patriots seem committed to both. All signs point towards extensions being worked out for the corner and quarterback.

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