It looks like the New Orleans Saints won’t be trading for Malcolm Butler, instead addressing their cornerback needs in the 2017 NFL Draft.
The worst kept secret in the NFL this offseason was the New Orleans Saints’ interest in New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler.
Butler wanted out of New England after the team opted to sign ex-Buffalo Bill Stephon Gilmore in free agency to a five-year, $65 million deal. The hero of Super Bowl XLIX likely believed he should be rewarded with that type of deal, leading to his flirtation with the Saints.
However, it looks as if Butler, who recently signed his restricted free agent tender with the Patriots, will be spending the 2017 season in New England.
#Saints & Butler have a multi-year deal agreed to, pending trade. At this point, trade appears unlikely from all sides. https://t.co/NXkrNUDspO
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 24, 2017
The Saints brought in Butler for a visit during free agency and discussions reportedly got far enough where a basic agreement on a long-term contract came to be. It likely would have made him one of the highest paid cornerbacks in the NFL. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem the sides can agree on compensation, which comes as a minor surprise considering the teams just worked through a Brandin Cooks trade.
The Saints don’t seem willing to part with any of their top picks to acquire Butler. They could just sign him as a free agent next offseason and given the fact they’ve already discussed a long-term deal with Butler gives them familiarity with him on the market in 2018.
As for Butler and the Patriots, their secondary is stacked with him on board. This still doesn’t rule out the Saints changing their offer depending on how their draft goes, but waiting until the after the draft produces a litany of new issues to overcome.
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After everything, it looks like the Patriots are primed for another Super Bowl run in 2017.