New Orleans Saints Refuse to Give Up No. 11 Pick for Malcolm Butler
Right now, the New Orleans Saints are still looking for a way to pry Malcolm Butler away from the New England Patriots. The Saints can sign the cornerback to an offer sheet and give the Patriots their first-round pick in this year's draft, but they are not planning to do that.
During an interview at the annual league meeting in Phoenix, Arizona on Wednesday, Saints head coach Sean Payton revealed that giving up the 11th overall pick was not an option and he said they were not planning to extend an offer sheet to Butler.
"We had a chance to visit with him. Currently, it's my understanding he hasn't signed his tender, so it was just that. We can sign him to an offer sheet, but I don't think we're going to do that and give up the 11th pick. In fact, I know we're not going to do that. It is what it is right now," Payton said, via the Boston Herald.
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Saints general manager Mickey Loomis has recently said that they were just "kicking the tires" on Butler, so they are keeping their options open. If the Saints can't acquire him, they can still look for a cornerback in the draft.
The door is still open, though, but the only option left for the Saints is to acquire Butler via a trade. To do that, the restrictive free agent cornerback will have to sign his tender with the Patriots first. The Saints can't discuss a potential trade with the Patriots until he does that.
Some observers have also noted that maybe the two teams can still work out a deal to allow the Saints to give up the 32nd overall pick instead of the 11th overall pick if they sign him to an offer sheet.
Meanwhile, Payton was also asked if they would sign Butler if circumstances changed, and he replied, "Listen, he's a guy that we thought enough of in this process. We'll see, though."
