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Do you think Bill Belichick kept Malcolm Butler on the bench for no reason, just did it for the heck of it?
I keep hearing and seeing the Jets should sign him, like nothing happened.
“What better way for Butler to exact revenge for his inexplicable Super Bowl benching than by sticking it to Bill Belichick twice a year as a member of the team that the Hoodie despises? It would be perfect,” Manish Mehta wrote.
“Inexplicable Super Bowl benching?”
“There was definitely a curfew violation by Malcolm Butler at some point during Super Bowl week,” said Patriots beat writer Mike Giardi of NBC Sports Boston.
So let’s use that as starting point to say the benching wasn’t totally “inexplicable.”
“I’m also told there were also disciplinary issues,” said Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who might have gotten this info from the team. “There was a small or minor violation of team rules that happened earlier in the week.”
So once again, let’s not call this “inexplicable.”
“It just so happens that Gang Green is looking to add two starting cornerbacks this offseason, wrote Mehta. “The Jets would love to sign Mo Claiborne and add another piece in the secondary (via free agency or draft). Truth be told, the master plan would be to add a true No. 1 cornerback alongside Claiborne. Finances aside, Buster Skrine would be the ideal slot corner for them.”
Why would Skrine be an ideal slot for them? Slot corners require really good instincts. Skrine is often a tick late reacting.
The problem here with the coverage of Skrine by the local media is that he’s a good guy, and also a good talker (very cooperative with the press), so there are rose-colored glasses aplenty. People, whether it’s the Jets brass, or reporters, seem to view him differently than the film, because they like him so much personally.
But I do agree with the Jets needing to fill both starting cornerback spots. Claiborne will likely fill one spot, but they better be darn careful with this Butler situation.
First of all, they shouldn’t sign Butler because he wants to get back at the Patriots. That’s irrelevant.
They should sign him if he can help them, and after their security chief Robert “Bobby” probably vets him in terms of what happened at the Super Bowl, and perhaps before that.
And let’s not forget, Butler was at three colleges: Alcorn State, Hinds Junior College and West Alabama.
He’s clearly no angel.
Former Patriots cornerback Brandon Browner said marijuana was involved in the disciplining of Butler.
“He not the first to get caught with weed,” Browner wrote on Instagram earlier this week.
So let’s say there were curfew issues and marijuana involved does that sound like an “inexplicable benching.”
Browner also made reference to having a woman in his room.
As far as weed, I’m not going to use this space to debate pot. Some states you can smoke it legally, others you can’t, but in the NFL it’s against the rules – end of story.
So if Butler was indulging Super Bowl weak, that will make some teams hesitant to sign him.
And considered the Jets just had one corner busted for having marijuana candy bar in his car, if Butler is also a pot guy, are you going to now add him right after the Rashard Robinson mess? Bad optic.
From a talent standpoint, the Jets could probably use Butler, but they better investigate what went on at the Super Bowl.
As far as I’m concerned, the Jets template for players they add should be Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye, two guys who get high marks on- and off-the-field.
February 8, 2017
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