Exactly. Too many people (like Kaufmann and some people here) keep acting like the 1st-round tag on Butler means anything more (to other teams) than sticker on a car at a dealer.
It's not some magic incantation that will somehow force other teams to give up their #1 for Butler.
If Belichick tells NO he wants the #11 and NO says NFW but we'll give you back your #32 then BB will need to weigh the pros and cons and odds of:
- Having the #32 and no Butler.
- Not having the #32, having Butler in 2017, and losing him for nothing after 2017 (and he perhaps being disgruntled)
- Not having the #32, having Butler in 2017, and maybe being able to sign him to an extension after all.
If he thinks getting the #32 back and losing Butler is the best of those outcomes (taking into account the odds of the other two outcomes) he'll make the trade regardless of the #11 sticker price on Butler. And if not, he won't. And if he things Butler's worth more than the #32 but less than the #11 he'll try to get NO to kick in some other choice in addition to the #32.
But the assumption by Kaufmann and other that NE is somehow
entitled to NO's #11 is just ludicrous.