What It Means:

The Patriots are fully expected to place a first-round tender on Butler, which would pay him around $4 million -- a significant raise from the $600,000 Butler made in 2016. Teams can still try to sign Butler, but it would cost them a first-round pick and the Patriots would have an opportunity to match whatever offer he receives on the open market. The Patriots will probably look to sign Butler, who earned his first All-Pro nod in 2016, to a multi-year deal. Volin believes a two-year contract in the $19 million range could work for both sides.

The Patriots' defense ranked 11th in the league by opponent-adjusted Defensive Net Expected Points per play this season.