The Tennessee Titans released cornerback Malcolm Butler on Tuesday three years into the five-year deal he signed in March 2018, according to his agent Derek Simpson.
Butler signed for more than $60 million in March 2018 after leaving New England as a free agent. He was due $11 million in base salary this season and $11.2 million in 2022. But Butler had the team’s third-highest salary cap hit at $14.2 million for this season trailing only Ryan Tannehill and safety Kevin Byard, according to Spotrac.com.
Releasing Butler is expected to save the Titans more than $10 million against the salary cap as they try to create space for free agency.
Advertisement
The seven-year veteran started all 16 games last season and tied for the team lead with four interceptions. That tied his career high of four interceptions in 2016 with New England, and his most famous interception clinched the 2015 Super Bowl for the Patriots over Seattle.
Butler started 36 of 41 games for Tennessee. He had a career-high 100 tackles last season for the Titans and has 17 career interceptions.
Bucs re-sign LB Lavonte David
The Buccaneers are bringing back linebacker Lavonte David on a two-year, $25 million deal, ESPN reported.
Tampa Bay’s star linebacker Shaq Barrett apparently will be allowed to test the open waters in free agency.
Browns cut Clayborn
The Browns released veteran defensive end Adrian Clayborn after one season, clearing out a little more salary cap space. He appeared in 15 games last season after signing a two-year, $5.75 million contract as a free agent in March. Clayborn, 32, played a year with the Patriots, in 2018, in which they won the Super Bowl . . . Bills center Mitch Morse agreed to take a $2 million pay cut to secure his spot on the roster and help the team free up much-needed space under the salary cap. Morse was due to make a little more than $7 million in base salary in the third season of the four-year, $44.5 million contract he signed in free agency and made him among the NFL’s top-paid centers . . . The Falcons saved almost $4 million from the 2021 salary cap by cutting veteran offensive guard James Carpenter. The Falcons remain almost $12 million over the projected salary cap of $180 million and they face a major overhaul with new coach Arthur Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot . . . The Vikings cleared more salary cap space by cutting kicker Dan Bailey, who ranked last in the league in 2020 (among qualifiers) in field goals (68.2 percent) and extra points (86 percent).
Advertisement