With the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans going head to head this weekend, there has been a lot of talk about former Malcolm Butler facing his former team. Butler was a strong player for the Patriots but faded during the 2017 season and has had a really down year for the Titans. Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman was asked about Butler and he came to his defense saying he is a stud.
“He’s a strong player who plays the ball well in the air,” Edelman said via Patriots Wire. “He’s gotten beat a couple times, but that’s just the nature of his game. He’s a really aggressive player that competes, plays the ball well through your hands. He’s long — upper body. He’s got that ability to make up speed in the air while getting back. A lot of corners can’t do that. I’ve got a lot of respect for Malcolm. … He’s a stud.”
Butler signed a five year deal with the Titans this offseason for $61 million and so far it hasn't panned out. According to Pro Football Focus, he has allowed the most receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns by any cornerback.
Article Continues BelowPer @PFF: #Titans CB Malcolm Butler allowed eight completions on 11 targets for 108 yards and two touchdowns. He's allowed 39 catches for 618 yards and seven touchdowns this season. All three marks are league-highs among cornerbacks.
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) November 6, 2018
Titans coach Mike Vrabel thinks a big reason that Butler has struggled is he's not paying attention to the little details, but Vabrel also expressed confidence with a little coaching, he can figure it out.
“There’s technique and detail that are associated with every player at his position,” Vrabel said on a conference call Wednesday. “And when you stray sometimes from those techniques and those details, sometimes you have a tendency to not do your job as well as you would if you had focused on the details and technique.