The New Orleans Saints selected Ohio State CB Marshon Lattimore with the 11th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, which should end any trade discussions between the Saints and the New England Patriots over CB Malcolm Butler.
The Saints were the top landing spot for Butler, but they believed they could land a top cornerback talent in the first round of the draft. They were correct. Lattimore joins Delvin Breaux, Sterling Moore, and P.J. Williams and will immediately improve the defense.
Breaux is scheduled for a new contract after 2017 and the Saints are likely to move forward with Lattimore and Breaux as their top two cornerbacks, instead of adding another high-money player in Butler.
While anything could happen, I would consider Butler as close to a “lock” as possible to remain with the Patriots in 2017, where he will play out his season on his first round tender valued at $3.91 million and try his luck in 2018 free agency.