The New England Patriots are set to compete in their third Super Bowl in the last four years with a meeting against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night.
Following the game, the Patriots could potentially have two of their key contributors on both sides of the ball in running back Dion Lewis and cornerback Malcolm Butler leave in free agency in the coming weeks, according to Ian Rapoport of The NFL Network.
“Star running back Dion Lewis, who signed an extension early in his Patriots' career, this time around no contract extension talks with the Patriots. He is going to be a free agent. He told him he loves the product that he has put on the field to prepare him in this situation. Another one the Patriots are expected to lose is Malcolm Butler. He expects to be one of the top free agent cornerbacks. From what I understand he is expected to get paid elsewhere.”
Butler has long appeared to be a likely candidate to leave after he was unable to secure a long-term deal last offseason as he was relegated to finishing out the last year of his rookie deal worth $3.9 million for the 2017 campaign. The 27-year-old has spent the first four years of his career becoming a reliable contributor in the secondary that includes a Pro Bowl selection in 2015, and a Second-Team All-Pro nod in 2016.
Although Butler didn't perform up to his standards this season, there should be a major market for his services as he is one of the better cornerbacks in the league. He finished the 2017 season with 60 total tackles, three forced fumbles, a sack, a pair of interceptions, and 12 pass deflections.
Meanwhile, Lewis is coming off his most productive campaign where he registered a career-high 896 rushing yards with six touchdowns along with 32 catches for 214 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He was also able to play in all 16 regular season games for the first time in his career. The 27-year-old could seize a starting job elsewhere as he's proven to be a valuable asset as both a runner and receiver out of the backfield.
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