The New England Patriots have started to pick things up as the initial glamour of NFL Free Agency has begun to wear off. With other teams spending big, the Pats have mainly sat in the shadows, bringing back their own free agents while making some cheaper additions from outside the organization as well.
It’s been fairly boring for the most part, but hey, boring isn’t always bad. The Patriots have done a good job at bringing back most of their important free agents, which wasn’t always a guarantee heading into the offseason. Losing guys like J.C. Jackson and Ted Karras hurts, but finding ways to re-sign guys like Ja’Whaun Bentley and Devin McCourty has helped soften the blow.
After a spending spree in 2021 unlike one we had ever seen (until the Jacksonville Jaguars proceeded to one-up it this offseason), New England has gone back to their normal free agent strategy. Bill Belichick has refused to overspend on players, regardless of the situation, and while it can be frustrating to watch other teams make blockbuster after blockbuster, patience is key for the Pats moving forward.
Besides, New England has brought in some pretty solid players without blowing the bank on them. This past week, the Pats brought in a pair of key veterans, re-signing offensive lineman Trent Brown and luring old friend Malcolm Butler out of retirement. With the contract details now out, let’s take a look at both of these deals and assign them both a grade.
New England Patriots free-agent signing No. 2: Malcolm Butler
Super Bowl XLIX hero Malcolm Butler officially made his return to New England after spending the past four seasons away from the team. Butler signed a big money deal with the Tennessee Titans after the 2017 season (and the infamous Super Bowl LI benching), but only lasted three seasons there before getting released. He signed with the Arizona Cardinals last offseason, but abruptly retired right before the start of the season.
The Patriots were rumored to be attempting to lure Butler out of retirement last week, as they reportedly brought him in for a visit. I took a look at Butler’s potential fit in a prior article, and assessed that the team should sign him if the price was right. Belichick clearly saw the article and decided that I was right, and handed Butler a deal to come back to New England (yes that was sarcasm).
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Jokes aside, Butler’s contract is a nice low risk deal that the Patriots really had no reason to not pursue. With Jackson joining the Los Angeles Chargers, cornerback is arguably the team’s top need with the NFL Draft creeping up. Butler isn’t the player he once was, but he’s familiar with the team’s defensive system, and given the lack of talent at cornerback on the roster, it made sense to work on a reunion.
Butler’s deal is a two year, $9 million contract that sees him earning an annual average value on $4.5 million. While it’s not exactly a huge amount, it’s surprising to see such a total for a player who didn’t play a down of football last season. Butler is a solid player and scheme fit, but he struggled with the Titans and didn’t even make it through training camp with the Cardinals.
FINAL GRADE: B
Butler helps address one of the team’s top needs, and while it’s worth a little bit more money than he’s probably worth, it’s nothing to lose sleep over. Butler could immediately come in and fill a starting spot aside Jalen Mills, and while that’s not exactly going to scare opposing quarterbacks, there are worse duos in the league. Butler isn’t the star he once was, but he’s a sold veteran acquisition at a big position of need, and this should end up working out for both sides.
New England Patriots free-agent signing No. 1: Trent Brown
Early last week, the Patriots were able to re-sign Trent Brown from seemingly out of nowhere. It seemed like Brown was trending towards leaving, but ultimately ending up staying put after his market didn’t develop the way he thought it would. Re-signing Brown ensures that New England won’t lose three pieces of their starting o-line from last offseason, which is a huge victory.
I previously wrote about how re-signing Brown was the only way the Pats could salvage their offseason, and lo and behold they managed to pull it off. Bringing back Brown is huge for a number of reasons. He’s obviously a tremendous talent, but it also ensures that the team only has to fill one spot on the o-line for the rest of the offseason. That’s a lot easier than filling two vacant spots to say the least.
Brown’s deal comes in at two years, $13 million, which is really good value considering the level of play Brown is capable of. it is worth noting that Brown has only played 25 games over the past three seasons, so it’s not really a sure bet that he will be able to stay healthy moving forward.
This deal sees Brown betting on himself to stay healthy before being able to land a bigger deal down the line. While the base salary sees Brown earning $13 million, he could earn as much as $22 million if he reaches all his incentives. There is also a potential opt out after this season, so Brown could end up hitting the market as early as next offseason too.
FINAL GRADE: A
Aside from Brown’s injury concerns, I cannot find one thing I dislike about this deal. When he’s on the field, Brown is one of the best tackles in the game, and they just signed him to an extremely team-friendly deal for potentially the next two seasons. Keeping Mac Jones upright is extremely important, and bringing Brown back into the fold ensures that will happen moving forward.