NFL Trade Rumors 2017: Malcolm Butler Saints Contract Reportedly All Set
The outlines of New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler's trade deal with the New Orleans Saints are reportedly in place already.
This is according to Comcast reporter Michael Giardi, who explained on Twitter that the only loose end in the contract is the guaranteed money.
Although both parties are close to a deal, there is one problem big enough to stop the trade. The New England Patriots have Butler, who is a restricted free agent, on a first-round tender.
This allows New England to match the offer any team gives to Butler or acquire the first round pick from the New Orleans Saints. However, Giardi says there is another way to settle this complicated trade deal.
"As for compensation for Butler, can't be discussed until he signs tender but both sides know what it will take to get deal done," he tweeted.
"Sense I get is there's a bit of a game of high stakes chicken on compensation front, but Saints enamored with player, he went on to explain in another tweet.
According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, the Patriots are willing to reconsider their options should Butler push the trade to Saints.
They could, as mentioned above, match the offer. If not, they can simply just acquire the eleventh overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, which is the return for a restricted agent on a first-round tender.
According to Bleacher Report, a trade could lead to Saints returning the first-round pick when they traded Brandon Cooks. This means that New England basically gets Cooks and a fourth-round pick by trading Butler and a third-round pick.
Speaking about the Cooks trade, Saints head coach Sean Payton told Matt Dolloff of CBS Sports, "It really got down to an opportunity to help improve our team, possibly defensively."
"We'll be able to look at it three years down the road with what we're able to do with the first-round pick, and then also the additional third-round pick," he went on to say.
