All offseason, rumors have swirled that Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler may wind up with the New Orleans Saints by the time next season starts. That's looking less and less likely as the NFL Draft approaches, according to a report from Peter King at The MMQB. 

"The Saints (picking 11, 32, 42, 76, 103 in the first three rounds) are still interested in Butler, but someone familiar with their thinking believes they are leaning toward keeping their first three picks," King wrote. "The Saints believe that their board between 25 and 75 has a slew of players capable of contributing immediately, with grades close to each other, and the thought of dealing one or more picks for Butler, then paying him a huge contract, is less attractive than it once seemed."

Butler recently signed his restricted free agent tender with the Patriots, which pays him $3.91 million in 2017, but reports in the wake of that signing indicated that it did not preclude a trade. 

The Saints hosted Butler for a visit recently, but coach Sean Payton made it clear that they wouldn't sign Butler as a free agent because they didn't want to give up their first-round pick to the Pats. Butler reportedly wants a long-term contract (and was warming to the idea of playing for the Saints as recently as mid-March) and a trade followed by an extension would be a pretty good way to get one, but the Saints are at least posturing that a move like that is not in the cards for them. It's possible that this is a smokescreen intended to get New England to lower its asking price for Butler, but with two first rounders, three picks in the top 45, and another at No. 76, there will be plenty of chances for the Saints to add potential high-end talent in the secondary.