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Eight NFL veterans playing for huge contracts in 2017

The Vikings signing Kirk Cousins will go down as one of the worst deals in NFL Free agency this year

Malcolm Butler, cornerback, New England Patriots

Scheme. There’s a train of thought out there that suggests Butler is a product of what New England does on defense. This philosophy led to New Orleans balking at the idea of yielding its original first-round pick (11th overall) to the Patriots for Butler. Instead, the Saints added former Ohio State cornerback Marshon Lattimore in the draft.

Sure Butler will still have to prove himself in the Patriots’ scheme this upcoming season after he signed the restricted free-agent tender the team threw his way. That’s going to continue leading to questions about his ability to perform once he does move on from New England.

But there’s a concrete fact we cannot shy away from. New England exhausted a huge capital by signing Stephon Gilmore away from Buffalo in free agency. It also decided against trading backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent with Butler next March.

What does this mean? Well, it’s rather simple. In all likelihood, Butler is playing his last season for the defending champs unless they fork over a huge payday. That’s unlikely to happen.

If so, Butler has an opportunity to prove to the league’s 31 other teams that he can be a true No. 1 cornerback in any scheme the NFL has to offer. Considering he defended 31 passes with six interceptions while yielding a sub 55 completion percentage over the past two seasons, there’s no reason to doubt Butler.

And given the fact that New England has another top-end corner in Gilmore on the roster, Butler’s job should be made easier in 2017. Look for another stellar performance this upcoming season, followed by an absolutely huge payday next March.

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