Malcolm Butler rumors: 5 best fits in NFL free agency

3. San Francisco 49ers

Moving on to teams away from New York and the East Coast, Butler could completely change timezones and head on out to California to play with a former teammate from his days with the Patriots.

The San Francisco 49ers provide a unique option for Butler, as he would get a fresh start in the NFC in a defense that could help build a team up into a playoff contender. Jimmy Garoppolo has become an instant star with the 49ers after getting traded for the Patriots, and he could help Butler get over his Super Bowl benching and give him some tips on the Patriots giving up on a player.

The 49ers proved with Garoppolo over the second half of the 2017 season that they have the potential to turn things around and become something great in an already-loaded NFC West. They haven’t been to the Super Bowl since Colin Kaepernick was running wild under center, and this team could be the one to flip the script and get back on top of the NFC.

Add in the element of getting paid like a star corner should with all of their cap space, and San Francisco provides a near-perfect fit for Butler to thrive in a new environment. If the Patriots don’t want to pay the man like a star starting corner, the 49ers will jump on the opportunity to bolster their defense in a big way before a huge 2018 campaign.