An Independent Patriots Blog
Malcolm is a good football player and he’s played very well for us both last year and this year, but just given where we are in the secondary and the level of improvement, I think no matter who we had on our team that he would be playing a lot of football for us. So that’s really a credit to him and how much he’s improved from last year to this year.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/malcolm-is-a-good-football-player-and-hes-played/
Boston Herald/Howe: Malcolm Butler not down on the corner
Really good read from Jeff Howe on Butler. Can’t say it enough, Butler is the most promising young corner we’ve had here since Asante and I think he will actually be even better. What we’ve seen with Butler, and it goes back to last season, is that even when he gives up plays he is right there. It’s not long before those are interceptions or defended passes. It was similar to what I noticed most with Revis last year, he was always right there. The ball might sneak through or magically get deflected right into the receiver’s hands, but he was never totally burned unless there were special circumstances. It will be exciting to watch Butler develop over the course of the season and he’ll get plenty of challenges from plenty of receivers who are just as good as Antonio Brown.
Video of Malcolm Butlers great pass breakup via @SteveBalestrieri (via Butler great breakup – YouTube)
Somewhat reminiscent of the one in the Super Bowl that Kearse caught on his back. Not that I needed to be reminded of that. It’s the one play that still scares me whenever I re-watch the Super Bowl, which is frequently.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/video-of-malcolm-butlers-great-pass-breakup-via/
The Patriots were off yesterday and it appeared a chance for them to reset their roster a bit and decide what changes needed to be made after a rash of injuries late last week had left them a little thin at a number of positions. Even the top gambling site reviews won’t like the Patriots chances in September if they’re without so many key players, so they’re protecting themselves with solid moves now.
They announced two moves earlier today, the first swapping out Matt Flynn, who still hadn’t passed a physical for former Cardinals quarterback Ryan Lindley. Obviously if Brady’s suspension sticks, they need a backup for Jimmy Garoppolo who can actually hit the field. It’s sure to be a steep learning curve for Lindley, but let’s hope we never have to see him take a snap outside of the preseason.
They also traded fifth-round pick Matthew Wells to the Bears for guard Ryan Groy, who started some games last year as a rookie. Obviously with Wendell still on PUP, they needed some experienced depth because while Tre Jackson might step in and start from day one, Shaq Mason probably needs some more experience in the passing game.
The Pats did get a boost today with a number of guys returning, including Julian Edelman, Brian Tyms, Matthew Slater and Alan Branch.
Here are the tweets of note from practice…
Scene setter: CB Malcolm Butler broke up a Tom Brady long bomb down right sideline, w/ impressive timed leap & swat-away. Crowd cheers.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) August 10, 2015
Jerod Mayo just laid a pretty good lick on Rob Gronkowski. Audible “oooohs” from fans and media.
— Erik Frenz (@ErikFrenz) August 10, 2015
Malcolm Butler jumped Josh Boyce’s crossing route to make a “did he really just do that” one-handed INT of Brady.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) August 10, 2015
Brady to Boyce with a terrific ball deep down the middle of the field. Maybe the best connection of camp between QB & WR on a long pass.
— Christopher Price (@cpriceNFL) August 10, 2015
Nate Solder left the field with an apparent injury. He didn’t return.
— Mark Daniels (@MarkDanielsPJ) August 10, 2015
Malcolm Butler making these big plays is incredibly encouraging. It appears like he and Tarrell Brown are the favorites to start on the outside, though I expect we’ll see everyone get a chance to show what they can do, even in January.
Let’s just keep an eye on Solder, that’s a big injury to monitor…
The Pass | By Ricardo Lockette
Well I certainly enjoyed reading this one more than I did reading about Rodney Harrison’s perspective on the Helmet catch. Really good piece from Lockette and credit to him for being able to talk about a horrible moment (from his perspective, not mine of course).
