FOXBORO — Before final week, it had been 4 lengthy years since Malcolm Butler took to the observe fields in Foxboro. But in line with the 32-year-old, his return has as a substitute made these days really feel “like yesterday.”
Better but, his teammates see the identical participant they remembered final from 2018.
“Malcolm works hard, like he always has. Very competitive, out there scrapping for balls. His aggressiveness, play style — we’re not in pads, but yeah,” Bill Belichick stated earlier than Tuesday’s OTA observe. “Looks like it’s about the same.”
Fellow Pats nook Jonathan Jones was extra definitive together with his evaluation after observe.
“Malcolm’s the same player, in my opinion,” Jones stated. “He comes out, he works hard and just wants to get better every day. He hasn’t lost that itch for the game.”
Butler is competing with incumbent beginning nook Jalen Mills, newly-signed free agent Terrance Mitchell and rookies Marcus Jones and Jack Jones for enjoying time. Young holdovers Myles Bryant and Joejuan Williams may also issue, although Bryant’s place is within the slot and Williams hasn’t been an everyday contributor in any of his three NFL seasons. If he can rediscover his kind, Butler ought to earn a beginning spot.
In his final full season of 2020, he posted 100 tackles, 4 interceptions and 14 cross breakups with the Titans. Butler left the Patriots as a free agent in 2018 for Tennessee, the place he signed a 5-year, $61.25 million contract
He’s again on a two-year deal value as much as $5 million with solely $750,000 assured, which gained’t safe a roster spot for Butler come Week 1, although early indicators are optimistic for his probabilities.
Source: www.bostonherald.com