Is Malcolm Butler destined to become a member of the Detroit Lions? The free agent cornerback has been drawing interest from several teams, with the Lions being right at the top of the list. Butler would be a great fit in Detroit, and hooking up with his former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia seems like a no-brainer. While Butler has remained rather silent on what his intentions are for 2018, one thing is for sure; the Lions are interested in him — very interested.
Patricia would love a reunion
While no one has yet made it clear why Malcolm Butler was on the sidelines during Super Bowl 52, instead of breaking up passes on defense, his longtime defensive coach has a lot of interest in bringing him to his new gig in Detroit.
According to Pro Football Talk, the Lions are “quite interested” in the Patriots free agent cornerback. The true story of Butler’s one game demise in New England is bound to surface sooner or later, but one would have to think that Patricia certainly did not have the last say in the matter.
In fact, Patricia strongly appears to want a reunion with Butler on his current team in Detroit and isn’t being bashful about admitting it. Now the big question is, are the feeling mutual from Butler?
The Lions had a date scheduled to meet with former Seahawks corner Richard Sherman this week. However, Sherman inked a deal with the 49ers.
A Suh return?
Ndamukong Suh is back on the market. According to Clutch Points website, ESPN’s Jeff Darlington was the first to announce the news last night that the Miami Dolphins will be releasing the defensive tackle.
While that won't be official until March 14, it appears Suh can play for anyone he chooses to in 2018 - that is if they have interest in him as well.
The 31-year-old interior defensive lineman obviously has tons of talent, but are the Lions interested in a guy that brings a great game, yet can hurt his team as well? Suh is known for his temper on the field, and sometimes doing things hurt his team more than helping them.
Nevertheless, Suh is reportedly already drawing interest from at least eight teams - with the Lions being one of them. ESPN indicates that the Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders, Seattle Seahawks, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are also willing to see what Suh has left in the tank.
NFL free agency officially begins at 4 PM ET on March 14. At that time teams can begin talking with and signing free agents players.