One thing we know about the Patriots, they won’t suddenly give a huge contract to someone based on one play. Just look at Jonas Gray, who disappeared after running wild all over the Colts.
There’s no doubt that Butler has a knack for making plays on the ball and he made remarkable progress in his first year considering where he started and where he ended up. But he needs to take advantage of this offseason and really take that next step.
I expect Revis will be retained, so he and Browner should return as the starting outside corners. We saw Logan Ryan targeted plenty last year and he was up and down (and did have some good plays in the Super Bowl as well), so it’s not unreasonable to think Butler could overtake him. Can Butler play the slot? Or is he most effective outside? We saw a little of both out of him this year.
Could he even overtake Arrington in the slot? He certainly seems to have made Alfonzo Dennard expendable, and I like Dennard. Butler does have better size and length than both.
Ultimately we don’t really have to figure it out now. Butler is under contract and will now have a full offseason in the program to improve. I’m excited to see how he develops. He is a ballhawk, and that is not something you can teach.
