Darius Butler released

[jtnc]

Still don't think he'll be no.2 CB if we were to claim him, for now that's Captain's unless Butler outplays Captain.

[Cyclonus]

Doesn't he fall under the category of "corners with the same skill set we already have?"

He's a smaller corner thats fast.

Possibly. But that doesn't mean he's not an upgrade. Good teams always upgrade a position if possible.

[MHS831]

Was just on the Pat's board seeing what they thought.

Butler was their Everette Brown, a 2nd rounder that underperformed. Most thought it was appropriate to cut him. I still think he would be an upgrade over what we have.

And regarding Brown, while most agreed he seriously underperformed, now that we see he was replaced with a relative nobody, I am not so sure we did the right thing in letting him go.

Good points. There just does not seem to be a strategy. Maybe they wanted to do Brown a favor and release him because he would never do much here. However, he was not claimed off waivers. Ouch.

Butler would start here. He is better than Munnerlyn. The problem seems to have been in his head, and I think once the light comes on, he will be good. Better than RJ Stanford, Thomas, and Munnerlyn right now.

Bottom line: He is FREE. Take him and try him for a few weeks. Cut him if he sucks.

[MHS831]

When the upside is high and the risk minimal, you invest.

[koolkatluke]

When the upside is high and the risk minimal, you invest.

Great post.

[MHS831]

Still don't think he'll be no.2 CB if we were to claim him, for now that's Captain's unless Butler outplays Captain.

He is on waivers. Does not need to start right away. Is he better than Thomas and Stanford. If so, you do it. He is young and his salary is low. He is still learning. THe Pats want players now. We are building. What is the downside?

[koolkatluke]

He is on waivers. Does not need to start right away. Is he better than Thomas and Stanford. If so, you do it. He is young and his salary is low. He is still learning. THe Pats want players now. We are building. What is the downside?

No downside. We brought in Balmer and Harrison (both with mojo and weight problems) why not bring him in?

[Jrock88]

I will be incredibly frustrated if we don't sign him. We have first dibs on waivers, correct? At 25 this guy has alot of football in him and could grow with our young defense. Surely he will be a Panther...

[Herbert The Love Bug]

He was the 4th best CB prospect going into the NFL draft in 2009 and was said to have the best feet of all the CBs. Guess that doesn't really mean much.

But I would take a guy drafted in the 2nd round by the Patriots that has NFL experience playing for the Patriots and Billicheck over an undrafted rookie free agent. Especially since he is young and cheap.

That's common sense to me.

[KillerKat]

So how good is he potentially supposed to be?

[Kurb]

We aren't going to sign this guy.

[Marguide]

Good points. There just does not seem to be a strategy. Maybe they wanted to do Brown a favor and release him because he would never do much here. However, he was not claimed off waivers. Ouch.

Butler would start here. He is better than Munnerlyn. The problem seems to have been in his head, and I think once the light comes on, he will be good. Better than RJ Stanford, Thomas, and Munnerlyn right now.

Bottom line: He is FREE. Take him and try him for a few weeks. Cut him if he sucks.

I agree he should be picked up, although it is not clear that he is better than Munnerlyn.

Pro Football Focus has Butler rated slightly behind Captain using their evaluation system fwiw.

[Montsta]

We aren't going to sign this guy.

All day long you have been a damn beacon of positivity.

[Carolina Crazy V2]

Per NFL.com

Positives: Adequate height for the position. ... Versatile athlete capable of playing in various defensive schemes. ... Instinctive. ... Good recognition in zone. ... Legitimate cover corner athleticism. ... Very good straight-line speed. ... Loose hips to turn and run with receivers. ... Shows a late burst to close. ... Excellent vertical, can get into position for jump balls and make a play on the ball. ... When playing off, he can shadow his man on slants and over the middle. ... Good hands for the interception. ... Played receiver at times as a senior to take advantage of his playmaking ability. ... Gets his shoulder on the ball to force fumbles. ... Closes quickly and wraps up to prevent gains after catch. ... Gets into the pile to assist in tackles. ... Holds up blocks to force quick screens inside. ... Has the straight-line speed and hands to be an effective kick returner. ... Proved his health with a strong week of practice at the Senior Bowl. Negatives: Very lanky with thin hips. ... Not particularly strong on the line or able to get off blocks. ... Bit of a duck-and-swipe tackler. ... Does not always play to timed speed, as quicker receivers can get separation downfield. ... Can get pushed off easily by bigger, stronger receivers. ... Allows too much cushion in off man coverage. ... Missed the final two regular-season games in 2008 with a knee sprain.