Remember Malcolm Butler? The guy who would've won the Super Bowl for the Patriots last year if he had just gotten off the bench?
Maybe Bill Belichick cut bait at the right time.
According to Scott Barrett of Pro Football Focus, the Titans have received a meager return thus far on their $61 million commitment to the former Patriots Pro Bowler. Per Barrett's research, Butler has been targeted 17 times this season while allowing a league-high 257 yards and league-worst three touchdowns in coverage for Tennessee, which improved to 1-1 with a win over the Texans on Sunday.
Butler was burned for a pair of long TDs in that game, including a 39-yarder by Will Fuller that gave the Texans the lead in the fourth quarter before the Titans rallied for a 20-17 victory.
In a Week 1 loss to the Dolphins, he intercepted a pass in the end zone and might've returned it 100 yards for a touchdown, except he slipped. However, he was also burned by Kenny Stills for a 75-yard score.
Coming a year after his level of play clearly slipped, he looks like another possible player the Patriots were wise to move on from when they did.
(He still should've gotten off the bench in the Super Bowl, though).