The New England Patriots are not the most beloved franchise in the NFL but they are reigning Super Bowl champions. They are the favorites to win the Super Bowl next year after re-stocking their roster with great additions.
The Patriots have a lot of fans and haters, and they would want to know the latest rumors on the team. Here are the latest Patriots rumors headlined by Malcolm Butler, who finally made it to the team's offseason workouts after going through restricted free agency.
Malcolm Butler joins Patriots offseason workouts
The defending Super Bowl champions started their voluntary offseason workouts last month and many expected Butler to not join the team. He was involved in many trade rumors before the NFL Draft but he remained with the Patriots.
Butler had no other choice but to sign a restricted free agent tender after failed trade attempts by the New Orleans Saints to pry him away from New England. The 27-year-old cornerback is looking for a long-term extension and many people believe that he won't get it from the Patriots.
Despite the trade rumors all offseason, Butler decided to join the team and put aside his contract demands. According to Scott Zolak of The Sports Hub (h/t CBS Boston), an extension negotiation between Butler and the Patriots are not of the window.
"From what I'm hearing, Butler's all in. He's first in every drill. He's running with the first team. He's still the top dog at corner, even with the $13 million corner opposite him. And now it's up to him, how he acts in these situations. They may be talking. I don't know that, but they may be talking," Zolak said.
Two teams interested in LeGarrette Blount
According to Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports, the New York Giants and Detroit Lions are interested in signing the free agent running back. Blount had a great season for the Patriots and he believed that it will lead to a nice contract this summer.
However, it has not panned out for Blount since he is still a free agent two months after the offseason officially began. Robinson noted that the Giants need a running back but the Lions are the better fit for Blount.
"The Lions may be the most obvious fit, with a stable of running backs who don't bring the same physical mentality to first or second down. Detroit also has general manager Bob Quinn who was in the New England personnel ranks during Blount's tenure with the Patriots. It means something to have Quinn calling the shots," Robinson reported.
Blount prefers staying with the Patriots but the defending champions appear to be moving on from him. New England recently signed his potential replacement, retracted free agent Mike Gillislee from their AFC East rivals Buffalo Bills.
Patriots holding tryouts for Taylor Mays, Josh Gable
The Patriots are still interested in adding depth to their squad and they are bringing in a couple of players for tryouts. According to NESN.com, New England will hold tryouts for safety Taylor Mays and kicker Josh Gable
Mays played for the Cincinnati Bengals last season and he is a potential low-risk, high reward signing for the Patriots. He has a total of 124 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, 11 pass breakups and zero interceptions during his six-year career in the NFL.
On the other hand, Gable has never been on an NFL roster and he's famous for his trick shot videos online. The Patriots are open to having a new kicker after a subpar season from Stephen Gostkowski. Gable is currently the kicker for the Nebraska Power of the Indoor Football League.
The 26-year-old did not play football in college but he was a former All-State selection in high school. He preferred working with the United States national soccer team after high school and he played professionally in Belgium and Italy.
