After three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, receiver Brice Butler’s contract has expired. Based on the veteran’s recent comments, and a look at the team’s roster, there is little indication that the free agent will be back with the club next year.
Despite offering a vertical threat that other Cowboys receivers don’t, Butler has never been able to grow his role in the offense. He has had just 12, 16, and 15 catches in each of the last three seasons.
Part of the problem has been the guys playing quarterback. In Butler’s first season in 2015, Tony Romo’s injury left the QB position in shambles. Even if Romo had played all year, he wasn’t the kind of deep ball passer that might’ve helped Brice to shine anyway.
The last two years of Dak Prescott at QB, and the more conservative designed to help him, have also left Butler looking for table scraps. He’s not going to get a lot of looks behind Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, Cole Beasley, and Terrance Williams anyway, and especially not when the team is more focused on running the ball.
Of course, Butler has also missed on some of his opportunities with dropped balls. Sports is cruel to the bench guys; you get a few chances to shine and people remember when you don’t.
Last January on the “Undisputed” sports talk show, Brice Butler appeared and didn’t sound like a guy who planned to return to the Cowboys. He claimed that he could have been more productive than Dez Bryant with the same number of targets and even declared that he would not come back to Dallas if he wasn’t promised a starting job.
Some might see this as burning bridges, but that only matters if you actually want to go back. If anything, it seemed more like a 28-year-old free agent desperate to get his name in the headlines a few months before the market opens.
No, there’s little reason to think Butler is coming back. Even if he wanted to, the Cowboys have Ryan Switzer and Noah Brown filling out the depth chart as well as the potential to spend a high draft pick on a new receiver.
Even if Dez Bryant gets released, Butler has given the team no indication he could take on a significant role. And at 28 now, the speed that made him a different type of weapon is going to start slipping away.
Having made little over $2 million during his three years in Dallas, Brice Butler was hardly a bad pickup. He made some solid plays at times and scored three touchdowns in each of the last two seasons. But his age and performance leave little reason to think there’s some untapped potential.
Hopefully Butler finds a team willing to get him the opportunity he craves. Don’t expect it to be the Cowboys.
It’s really too bad. He’s a player the Cowboys desparately need. Dreaming for a rookie to come in and fill in as a number 1 WR is really just wishful thinking if you look at recent history. They should really try to lock him up on a 5 year, if they were smart. Although he may not be particularly thrilled with the way they used him so far, a contract that looks something like 5 years $70 million, with $35 guaranteed, could show enough of a commitment to keep him on the field. At worst he’s a number 2, and he may very well be able to become a legitimate 1 if given the chance. I’d maybe compare him to a Marvin Jones with more speed and a larger catch radius, so something a little heavier than the Marvin Jones contract (didn’t look it up) should be in his range.
Whether Butler is a 2nd WR or long-downs WR, the team needs a schematic pass-game retool that stretches coverages IMO. Butler can play an important role in that. And we need a new WR with big speed, no idea whether that can come in the draft or if they are looking at someone now in the league.
I think Butler has a few years left until any loss of speed applies. He sits mostly & does not have high mileage on his body. He showed flashes on deep balls last year, and this team needs more speed at WR right now not less. If he received Williams’ reps and had low numbers, then I wouldn’t trust his future. But for me the biggest impediment has been Garrett / Linehan inertia, and staying with receivers who weren’t getting the job done. I pay him and keep him for 2018. And if I can get value for Williams, like a conditional pick or a decent depth player, I ship him off.