In the days before the Patriots actually traded for Saints playmaker Brandin Cooks (in exchange for draft picks, including a 2017 first-rounder), there was a report that the deal would include New England cornerback Malcolm Butler. It didn’t happen, presumably because Butler has yet to sign his restricted free agency tender.

As Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote over the weekend, “Butler’s decision not to sign his tender kept the Patriots and Saints from seriously exploring the prospect of adding Butler to the deal.”

But that doesn’t mean the book has closed on a future deal. In fact, Saints coach Sean Payton told the Associated Press that Butler will visit New Orleans on Thursday.

The Saints’ defense is in desperate need of upgrading; the unit ranked 30th last year, according to Football Outsiders’ metrics (29th against the pass; 19th against the run). If New Orleans wants Butler, it would first need to sign him to an offer sheet, and the Patriots would have a chance to match. If they chose not to match, New England would receive a first-round pick from the Saints.

New Orleans currently has the 11th and 32nd pick, the latter by way of the Cooks trade. The Saints would have to fork over the higher of those picks to the Patriots should they sign Butler as a restricted free agent. That said, the two sides could agree on other terms if Butler signs his tender with the intent of inking a long-term deal with the Saints.

So what kind of contract is Butler looking for?

That’s right; on the first day of free agency, the Pats signed Stephon Gilmore to a deal worth $13 million annually. Which brings us back to New Orleans.

 

 And should Butler remain in New England, the Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe reports that he has no plans to hold out.