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New England Patriots restricted free agent cornerback Malcolm Butler visited the New Orleans Saints, but he is staying with Patriots, at least for now, because he signed his tender with the Patriots, the team announced Tuesday. The tender was at the first-round level and carries a salary of $3.91 million for the 2017 season, according to ESPN.
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With Butler signed, the Patriots can engage in trade talks with other teams regarding Butler if they desire.
The Patriots also signed exclusive rights free agent tight end Matt Lengel and released offensive lineman Tre' Jackson.
Butler, 27, has played in 43 regular season games with 33 starts, including starts in all 16 games over the last two seasons. He has six interceptions and 35 passes defensed.
He has played in eight postseason games with five starts, and he had an interception at the goal-line that secured the win over Seattle in Super Bowl XLIX. Butler was named to the Pro Bowl following the 2015 season.
Lengel, 26, was signed by the Patriots to the 53-man roster from the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad on Nov. 2, 2016. Lengel played in six games with the Patriots in the regular season and all three postseason games, including Super Bowl LI. He finished the regular season with two receptions for 22 yards.
Jackson, 24, played in 13 games with nine starts at right guard as a rookie in 2015. He spent the entire 2016 season on the reserve/physically unable to perform list with a knee injury.
