Tennessee Titans Sign Malcolm Butler To Huge Contract
By Chris Clark
Free Agency is almost upon us, but Titans general manager Jon Robinson didn’t want to wait to make his first big signing of the offseason.
While worried Titans fans watched other teams taking key free agents, the Titans were conjuring up a huge contract. Free agents such as Richard Sherman, Kirk Cousins, and co. were getting signed left and right. But there’s one guy who was quietly in negotiations with the Titans.
And out of nowhere, lightning struck:
The #Titans are signing CB Malcolm Butler on a 5-year contract worth more than $61M with more than $30M guaranteed, source said. Wow.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2018
Who saw this one coming? Not many. It snuck up on us much like the DeMarco Murray trade did a few years back. Malcolm Butler had 60 combined tackles, 12 passes defended, and two interceptions in 2017. He spent the last four seasons in New England – getting selected to the Pro Bowl in 2015.
The 28-year-old cornerback had a fallout with the Patriots after not playing a single snap in Superbowl 52 vs the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, he’s a Titan and will play under the new coaching staff and play along 22-year-old Adoree Jackson and 27-year-old Logan Ryan.
Titans GM Jon Robinson, a former Patriot scout, still has a lot of connections in that NE building. I'm sure he was able to find out enough about Malcolm Butler's benching to feel comfortable giving him a five-year, $61M deal with $30M in guarantees. https://t.co/L5vhh3YDC0
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) March 13, 2018
What Does This Mean For…?
The Secondary
It’s highly likely that Malcolm Butler will serve as the Titans number one corner. That would move second-year CB Adoree Jackson down to No.2, and ultimately move Logan Ryan to the slot – which is not bad news. The Titans would have a solid cornerback in every spot.
This would help the Titans tremendously because they seem to often struggle versus teams with a good slot receiver and a good outside receiver. For example, the Houston Texans. WR Will Fuller has been a consistent thorn in the side of the Titans for his entire career in Houston. And to make matters worse, DeAndre Hopkins is pretty good too.
With three solid cornerbacks, there are little ways the Texans can move Fuller and Hopkins around to try to get a mismatch.
The only hole I see now in the Titans secondary is at safety (minus Kevin Byard.) Byard is highly talented, so if Jon Robinson can find another solid safety, the secondary will be successful for years.
NFL Draft
Now that defensive back is no longer a huge need after the Malcolm Butler signing, the Titans can now fill other positions of need on their team. Some of their gaping holes are pass rushers or linebackers. Avery Williamson could be on the move, so the Titans will need to replace him. Even if he stays, the Titans still need to add more talent there.
They might also target the safety position (as mentioned in the previous one), to help compliment Byard.
On the offensive side, they should try to continue building the offensive line by fixing up the interior. The edges will thrive for years with Taylor Lewan and Jack Conklin. But, the middle of the offensive line seems to consistently get QB Marcus Mariota in trouble.
The running back position could also be addressed via the draft, but later in it.
As you can tell, this Malcolm Butler signing is huge, and it is a game-changer for the Titans this off-season. Now let’s see what else Jon Robinson has up his sleeve.