Player Signing Patriots sign Malcom Butler

[50-yard-line]

If Butler can still play...

Butler, Jones, Mills

will be as good as, or better than

Jackson, Mills, Bryant/Williams.

Jackson's the best of the group, obviously, but having Jonathan Jones back in the slot and 2nd year of Mills will help a lot.

Here's hoping that Wade is worth the effort - all the skills were there.

 

[slash83]

If Butler can still play...

Butler, Jones, Mills

will be as good as, or better than

Jackson, Mills, Bryant/Williams.

Jackson's the best of the group, obviously, but having Jonathan Jones back in the slot and 2nd year of Mills will help a lot.

Here's hoping that Wade is worth the effort - all the skills were there.

Hoping Mills can hold up like last season playing primarily on the outside is a bit of a gamble. Who knows what Butler has left, huge questions still remain on the two outside corner positions.

 

[mgteich]

So what?

Butler's not supposed to be the #1 corner.

He fills the role Jason McCourty held over a few years.

A solid #4 on the roster who can fill in as a starter and be good.

I strongly agree.

We still need a starting CB, probably our 1st round draft choice.

Mills should be better as our #2 after a season in the system.

Jones is a HUGE improvement over Bryant, our 2021 nickel.

Butler should be a HUGE improvement over #4 from last year: Williams/Wade. Even Mitchell should be an improvement.
======================
HOWEVER, Butler may indeed be our starter if our draftee isn't ready.

By mid-year our corners should be a very good unit:
outside: rookie, Mills, Butler,
nickel: Jones
backups: Mitchell, Wade/Bryant
================

 

[Sciz]

Makes sense that his cap hit would be fairly low since pretty much any incentives will be NLTBE.

 

[Family]

I strongly agree.

We still need a starting CB, probably our 1st round draft choice.

Mills should be better as our #2 after a season in the system.

Jones is a HUGE improvement over Bryant, our 2021 nickel.

Butler should be a HUGE improvement over #4 from last year: Williams/Wade. Even Mitchell should be an improvement.
======================
HOWEVER, Butler may indeed be our starter if our draftee isn't ready.

By mid-year our corners should be a very good unit:
outside: rookie, Mills, Butler,
nickel: Jones
backups: Mitchell, Wade/Bryant
================

Agreed. Forgot about Wade.

Bill believes his coaching can take them a long way, but he needs disciplined players who completely buy in.

That's why JC was not a consideration which Bill probably knew last off season. JC free lances. You get a lot of INTs if you free lance.

Bill wants it all done his way. Maybe he's old and stubborn, but he took Butler back.

Butler needs to buy in and he can be a piece of this.

 

[Vindicate]

Agreed. Forgot about Wade.

Bill believes his coaching can take them a long way, but he needs disciplined players who completely buy in.

That's why JC was not a consideration which Bill probably knew last off season. JC free lances. You get a lot of INTs if you free lance.

Bill wants it all done his way. Maybe he's old and stubborn, but he took Butler back.

Butler needs to buy in and he can be a piece of this.

Jackson freelanced? I wasn't aware of that. Not saying it's wrong, I just never remember it being brought up (which, again, doesn't mean it didn't happen).

 

[sb1]

That is a good deal.

 

[50-yard-line]

Jackson freelanced? I wasn't aware of that. Not saying it's wrong, I just never remember it being brought up (which, again, doesn't mean it didn't happen).

Never heard anything of JC freelancing. He got picks because he's just one of those guys who anticipates well and has that mysterious nose for the ball.

He's a big loss.

But, as I said above, with Jones back, if Butler can still play, the Pats secondary doesn't take a step back. They were quite literally two deep last year when JJ went down, and one of those guys was brand new. They are three deep right now, and have a better handle on the things Bryant can and cannot do (if he even makes the team), and the Wade experiment is over, one way or the other.

 

[Sicilian]

Never heard anything of JC freelancing. He got picks because he's just one of those guys who anticipates well and has that mysterious nose for the ball.

He's a big loss.

But, as I said above, with Jones back, if Butler can still play, the Pats secondary doesn't take a step back. They were quite literally two deep last year when JJ went down, and one of those guys was brand new. They are three deep right now, and have a better handle on the things Bryant can and cannot do (if he even makes the team), and the Wade experiment is over, one way or the other.

Yeah, I don't recall him freelancing much either. I think they let him go because his market was too rich for them, and they're willing to gamble that they can develop another young corner (which to be fair, is probably Bill's best track record in general).

 

[50-yard-line]

Yeah, I don't recall him freelancing much either. I think they let him go because his market was too rich for them, and they're willing to gamble that they can develop another young corner (which to be fair, is probably Bill's best track record in general).

I think they're going more zone, faster second level.

 

[Family]

Jackson freelanced? I wasn't aware of that. Not saying it's wrong, I just never remember it being brought up (which, again, doesn't mean it didn't happen).

Yeah, I don't recall him freelancing much either. I think they let him go because his market was too rich for them, and they're willing to gamble that they can develop another young corner (which to be fair, is probably Bill's best track record in general).

For one Bedard whom I consider very good and is a tape junkie.

J"C Jackson: "As the season went on, Jackson looked more and more for the ball instead of playing the man, which led to a TD in this game. It was reminiscent of Malcolm Butler in his final season, when he was trying to make plays ahead of being a free agent. Jackson’s future here has to be in question."

The horrible play of the defense VS Buffalo was everyone's fault for sure, but when it counted I did not see a shutdown corner on that field for the Patriots.

It's funny now he used Butler as the example.