A Super Bowl LII benching all but decided Malcolm Butler’s fate. The cornerback won’t be returning to the New England Patriots in 2018.
That means cornerback is near the top of the Patriots’ list of offseason needs. They’ll be returning Stephon Gilmore, Eric Rowe, Jonathan Jones (who’s coming off a serious injury suffered late in the season), Cyrus Jones and practice squad players Ryan Lewis and Jomal Wiltz at the position. Butler and Johnson Bademosi are free agents.
The Pats should look to add a veteran in free agency, and they could spring for another cornerback near the top of the draft. They could get by next season with Gilmore and Rowe as starters and either Cyrus or Jonathan Jones in the slot, but it’s a position that could be upgraded.
And even if New England plans to start Rowe in 2018, he’ll be a free agent after the season. It would be wise to plan for the future.
We took a look at the top cornerbacks available in the draft, as ranked by WalterFootball.com. Check it out below.
