Malcolm Butler Makes Sense for the Tennessee Titans
By Kyle Zwiazek
’tis the season for speculation with very little action. The Tennessee Titans are looking to improve their team on both sides of the ball. Cornerback is one of those positions that should be improved.
There have been a lot of connections between the Tennessee Titans and the New England Patriots made over the last two years. GM Jon Robinson cut his teeth in the business as a personnel guy in New England. He hired Mike Vrabel to become the head coach of the Titans. Vrabel was a former Patriots player that had a lot of success in the time Robinson was in Foxborough. Other players such as Logan Ryan, Matt Cassel, and Josh Kline all spent time in New England then found their way to Nashville. When there is a need in the Titans organization, it seems like they find someone from the Patriots to fill the void. That is where Malcolm Butler walks into the locker room.
It looks like cornerback Malcolm Butler’s career in New England may have ended after being benched in the Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles. Some would argue that if Butler played, New England might have won that game. It is tough to know for sure, but Butler was the starting cornerback in New England. He may have fallen out of favor with the coaching staff, leading to his exit from New England. Many reports have come out about why Butler did not receive more than special teams play in the Super Bowlm but nothing has been confirmed. At this point it is all speculation as to why he did not get a lot of playing time, but until there is proof, the Titans should take a shot on the talented cornerback.
Does he make sense?
Malcolm Butler is arguably in the prime of his career and has proved to come up strong in big situations. For instancem remember when the Seattle Seahawks decided to pass the ball on the goal line in Super Bowl XLIX? Butler was the man that came up with the interception to seal the deal and give the Patriots the victory.
Tennessee Titans
He had eight interceptions through his last three seasons in New England. This is the type of production that DC Dean Pees will be looking for when he is putting together his defense in the off-season. There are plenty of players out there, but Butler fits the mold of the type of player that the Titans are looking to add. He may have some off the field issues that need to be resolved, but he is all business on the field. To go along with the interceptions, Butler has had success as a tackler too. He would be a great addition to former teammate Logan Ryan and Adoree’ Jackson in the cornerback corps.
Butler may cost a decent amount of money, but there aren’t too many big holes on the roster. It would be great to turn the Titans secondary into one of the best in the league with the addition of Butler. According to Spotrac.com, Butler made $3.9 million last season. That will most likely go up next season. Spotrac predicts that it will cost around $13 million a year to sign Butler.
Conclusion
The biggest issue on the roster last season was coaching. With the addition of Mike Vrabel as coach, the team should have a completely different game plan going forward. That means the coaching staff will try to get more out of the guys they have. Adding Malcolm Butler would help with one of the most glaring holes on the roster. The secondary overperformed last season and it is not wise to think that will happen again in 2018. The Tennessee Titans should look into adding Butler. As long as they do not overpay for the cornerback he would be a great addition to the team.