Tedy Bruschi and Louis Riddick break down if they expect Malcolm Butler, Dont'a Hightower and LeGarrette Blount to remain with the Patriots. (1:58)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- With the New England Patriots placing a first-round tender on restricted free-agent cornerback Malcolm Butler on Tuesday, and the sides not currently talking about an extension, it opens the door for other teams to pursue Butler.

How likely is that to happen?

It's a longshot based on the price (draft pick compensation and high-end contract), but something that at least warrants a discussion for cornerback-needy teams picking near the bottom of the first round.

It will take a first-round pick and a lot of cash to separate Malcolm Butler from the Patriots. James Lang/USA TODAY Sports

For example, would signing Butler to a top-of-the-market offer sheet make sense for a team like the Miami Dolphins? They have a need at corner, $41 million in cap space, pick No. 22 overall, and could potentially hurt a division rival in the process -- either by taking Butler away from them, or by drawing up a contract that eats up their salary-cap space.

And even if doesn't get to that point, inviting Butler to town for a get-to-know-you visit could lay the groundwork for something in the future, or at the least, create some goodwill with the player.

This is something the Patriots have done in the past, with one recent example being receiver Emmanuel Sanders when he was a restricted free agent in 2013. The Patriots signed Sanders to a one-year, $2.5 million offer sheet, willing to give up a third-round pick if the Pittsburgh Steelers didn't match. Pittsburgh matched.

Last year, the Patriots also dipped into the restricted market by signing receiver Chris Hogan away from the Buffalo Bills on a three-year, $12 million deal. The key was that it included $7.5 guaranteed and a $5.5 million cap charge in the first year, making it challenging for the cash-strapped Bills to match (there was no draft-pick compensation to Buffalo because Hogan received a low tender and entered the NFL as an undrafted player).

With an abundance of cap space, the Patriots won't get pinched this year like the Bills did with Hogan in 2016. That might have also contributed to their decision with Butler's tender.

Historically, one has to go back to 2003 to find an example of a team giving up a first-round pick to sign a restricted free agent; the Washington Redskins did it with receiver Laveranues Coles.

Could history repeat itself?

It's unlikely, but the possibility is one of the various scenarios in free agency that sparks some deeper thought.