Report: Patriots Expected to Place Second-Round Tender on DT Adam Butler

Adam Butler was an un-drafted free agent in 2017.

The New England Patriots are expected to place a second-round tender on defensive tackle Adam Butler, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss. 

When the Patriots tender an offer to restricted free-agent DT Adam Butler, the expectation is that it will be the 2nd-round level. The reason: Butler entered the NFL undrafted, so if he was given the low tender, and signed to an offer sheet, there would be no compensation to NE.

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) March 13, 2020

Because Butler went un-drafted out of Vanderbilt in 2017, if the Patriots placed the lowest round tender on him, which would be an original round tender, then they would receive no compensation if a team were to sign him during free agency. The next level up from the original round tender is the second round tender, and New England apparently values Butler high enough to tender him at that level, which also brings along a one-year deal worth $3.3 million. If a team signs Butler to an offer sheet, the Patriots will now have five days to match the offer or receive a second-round pick as compensation. If a team doesn't sign him to an offer sheet, his rights are then given back to New England.   

Butler is an integral rotational player for the six-time Super Bowl champions on the defensive line. He had a career-year in 2019, recording six sacks, eight tackles for loss and nine QB hits. With Danny Shelton also set to hit free agency, New England will need a player to take on a brunt of the snaps in the interior line with Lawrence Guy. While it's very possible second-year player Byron Cowart could absorb some of the snaps as well, Butler seems primed for an expanded workload moving forward.