New England Patriots Rumors: Malcolm Butler 'Frustrated'; Agent Requests Trade

One way to alienate a top cornerback is to sign a player of similar age and skills at the same position to a big-money deal the aforementioned player has yet to obtain.

For Malcolm Butler and the New England Patriots, it appears a divorce is near after they signed Stephon Gilmore to that huge free agent contract last week.

According to several sources, Butler’s agent is seeking trade partners willing to part with a first-round pick in exchange for the restricted free agent.

Also according to sources, the reason why Butler wasn’t included in the Brandin Cooks trade over the weekend is because he has yet to sign his RFA tender.

Plenty of moving parts for the Patriots, but it’s hard to not see them coming out of this even better in 2017.