FOXBORO, Mass. — It’s not a coincidence that Malcolm Butler finds himself lined up across from Julian Edelman more often than not in New England Patriots training camp.
Last year, those Edelman reps went to former Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis. Now Butler has stepped into that No. 1 role, which shows the kind of expectations Patriots coaches have for Butler.
“They don’t have to say it,” Butler said Sunday after Day 4 of training camp. “I know that in my brain by the fans, by the coaches, by y’all right here. I expect that.”
Butler, who said over the offseason that he doesn’t want to be a one-play wonder, is showing his promise in training camp, despite going against the best the Patriots have to offer. He deflected passes thrown to Edelman and wide receiver Aaron Dobson on Sunday, and he’s hard on himself when he allows a catch.
“It means a lot,” Butler said about guarding Edelman. “He’s not the only guy I’m guarding. I’m guarding everybody. It’s not just his skills, I want to go against everybody. I want to go against the best just like everybody else wants to go against the best.”
Butler is even goading quarterback Tom Brady to throw his way during team drills. Brady and Edelman both stopped to talk trash to Butler after completing a pass in the end zone during individual drills.
“When we’re at practice, I tell Tom, ‘Throw the ball, throw at me, throw at me.’ When he gets me, he’s going to let me know he threw it,” Butler said. “So he let me know he threw it.”
Edelman popped up and spun the ball at Butler’s feet after the catch, and the receiver and his quarterback leapt up to chest bump, but there were no hard feelings.
“A little bit of trash talk each way won’t hurt,” Butler said. “It brings the best out of both sides. Yeah, it most definitely makes it more fun. Talk a little trash, play around and all about working at the same time. …
“Most people talk and can’t back it up. (Edelman)’s one of the guys that can back it up. That’s all I got to say about that.”
Butler is in a much different place than he was last training camp, when he was a surprising standout after going undrafted out of West Alabama. Now he’s receiving starting reps, guarding Edelman and trading trash talk with Brady, but he’s not getting complacent.
“I never think too much of myself,” Butler said. “I come out here like I’m coming in last year, as an undrafted free agent again. I gotta come out here with my hair on fire, play like my hair’s on fire and just play hard.”
Thumbnail photo via Doug Kyed/NESN
