Malcolm Butler - Top 5 CB in the NFL

[BradyFTW!]

Xavier Rhodes probably belongs in the top 5 with the season he's having. I also think Talib is currently playing at a higher level than Butler.

 

[Ring 6]

Peterson is great, but he can't play on the inside and has trouble against physical possession receivers.

You wouldn't put a top corner inside any way.
Peterson is top 3 and quite a bit better corner of than butler.

 

[Ring 6]

Butler is usually shadowing his man closely and can track the ball without drawing a PI...he's also a sure tackler....

He's deserving of a top 5-10 position as far as DB's go......

Butler allows a lot more catches than the top corners. He's good but not in the top few.

 

[fnordcircle]

When is Butler ever completely burned ala Kyle Arrington in his days as anon-slot receiver?

Even when this guy gets a catch recorded on him he seems to be close to making a play. In fact, I think Butler has an infuriating number of perfect catch/amazing receptions against him where he was in the perfect position and had perfect form.

Top 10, though. He might very well become top 5.

 

[Brewskies]

Aren't you forgetting the best, in his mind and that of the Jets, Revis. Remember him he was lights out until he left the Pats and went to the Jets for a boat load of money. He is laughing all the way the bank, Jets deserved it.

I thought Revis would have been a major loss for the SB contending Pats, not so.

Butler, IMO, is top 10 maybe #5 in top 5, just maybe. I am glad we have him.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Can't put him in Top 5 yet. Sherman, AP, Rhodes, Talib, Harris are all ahead of Malcolm.

Not sure about Peters. Seems to take a ton of chances. Malcolm seems fundamentally better.

At any rate, Malcolm is still being targeted because QBs don't fear him

He needs more INTs and less catches allowed.

 

[patsinthesnow]

-Butler's proven he can limit the best WRs in the NFL (Brown, Beckham)
-He's the #1 CB on what's likely to be two top 10 defenses statistically in back to back years.
-He hits like a truck and probably could be a heck of a SS. He's a complete CB.

The #1 CBs on the best defenses make a solid ranking system IMO:

1. Talib
2. Peterson
3. Sherman
4. Rhodes
5. Butler

Butler's a few mental lapses away from being in discussion for the best CB. He's following a similar career arc to Talib in that sense.

 

[BradyFTW!]

When is Butler ever completely burned ala Kyle Arrington in his days as anon-slot receiver?

Even when this guy gets a catch recorded on him he seems to be close to making a play. In fact, I think Butler has an infuriating number of perfect catch/amazing receptions against him where he was in the perfect position and had perfect form.

Top 10, though. He might very well become top 5.

Yesterday he was burned pretty badly at the end of the game. But at least with Butler, when he's burned it's almost always because he bit too hard on a double move. That's correctable, in a way that being too slow or lacking agility isn't.

Butler hasn't hit his ceiling yet. He's not a top 5 corner IMO, and I dunno if he will ever get there, but it's theoretically in play. He would have to improve his hands, turn some more of his pass breakups into interceptions, and stop giving up big completions on double moves.

 

[jah]

There's a lot of insanely good CBs in the league right now. Butler is one of them. That's about all we really know.

 

[BelichicksBlackEye]

Butler, especially over the last 6-7 games in my opinion has played better than any cb in the league. I know a lot here are laufing our defense, but with him playing at this level we have a chance to neutralize a teams best player.

Top 5 CB:
Chris Harris Jr
Jalen Ramsey
Norman
**** Sherman
M Butler

um Xavier Rhodes is arguably the best corner in the league this year...so theres that

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

If you're just talking this year Newman, Hayward, Jenkins and Claiborne deserve some pub, in terms of top ten.

Overall Slay, Trufant and Verrett are all very good. I think Slay's contract is a good measuring stick for what Butler will command.

 

[The_Riddler]

If this man was 2 to 3 inches taller, he's the top CB in Football, period. His one downfall, and it's not his fault, is his lack of height. When he does get beat, and it's rare, it's due to his height issues with taller WRs via fade passes in the endzone etc. But he is incredibly physical, and is probably the top tackling CB in the group listed. I love him and he deserves to be paid and paid fast...

 

[SalemPats]

um Xavier Rhodes is arguably the best corner in the league this year...so theres that

he's top 10, but with Minny's D-line Butler is better.

 

[SalemPats]

For those who put Patrick Peterson and Xavier Rhodes ahead of Butler i hope they watched the last 5 games.

In fact, Butler should be in heavy consideration to be an all-pro

 

[Tuck]

I don't understand the need to rank players unless you're the one paying them. He's really good I think we can all agree. On top of that he played hurt this season and missed very little time. Hope they can reach an agreement on an extension. He's a solid Patriot IMHO.

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

Pay the man Bill....pay em!!!

 

[supafly]

If you're just talking this year Newman, Hayward, Jenkins and Claiborne deserve some pub, in terms of top ten.

Overall Slay, Trufant and Verrett are all very good. I think Slay's contract is a good measuring stick for what Butler will command.

I don't think I've ever seen so many mediocre players mentioned in comparison during the same post--ever.

 

[supafly]

Pay the man Bill....pay em!!!

Yep. I don't know if the risk of losing him outweighs the benefit of only paying 4m dollars with a RFA tender, but it's getting pretty close. Taking it one step further, I think there should be serious concern about the price being driven up, should they choose to wait another year.

The big question is whether or not Belichick sees him as a 10m dollar CB, a 14m dollar CB, or something in between (my guess).

 

[thecore762]

Butler keeps improving every year, he is having a pro bowl type season this year and I expect the same next year.

 

[DarrylS]

Top ten, top five does not make much difference. My eyeball tells me he is playing lights out in this defense and that takes more and more pressure of McCourty et al...

He seems to believe that he is one of the best and that's critical.. from a guy who almost walked away from football to this is quite impressive..