The Saints aren't the only ones interested in landing Malcolm Butler, it seems.
According to Yahoo's Eric Edholm, the Texans would be OK with sending a second-round pick to the Patriots in return for the 27-year-old corner. Of course, as we explained in this post breaking down the Butler-to-the-Saints scenarios, Butler would need to sign his first-round tender with the Patriots before he could be traded.
Would a second-round pick be enough for the Patriots to make a deal? Not if the Saints are willing to part ways with the No. 32 overall pick they received from New England in the Brandin Cooks deal.
THE MALCOLM BUTLER SAGA
- Volin: Most likely outcome is Butler returns for one more year
- Curran: Here's an easy solution for Butler
- Cap guru Miguel Benzan discusses what would be a 'fair deal'
- Mayo: What they say in the locker room is 'don't count the other man's money'
- Report: Butler visiting Saints on Thursday
But the most significant piece of this latest report isn't that the Texans -- who lost corner AJ Bouye to the Jaguars via free agency -- are willing to part with a second-rounder for Butler. It's that Houston's interested at all.
With a second team in the mix, there remains the potential for a bit of a bidding war for Butler that would drive up the return for the Patriots in a trade.
New England Patriots
If the Texans are only offering a second-rounder, though, the war may not last all that long.