Bill Belichick has high praise for Malcolm Butler


Patriots corner back Malcolm Butler endeared himself to Patriots fans with his heroics in Super Bowl XLIX, and many wondered how he'd progress moving forward.

His attitude seems to not have changed at all according to Bill Belichick. That would be a good thing.

"I think Malcolm overall has had a real good offseason. I think he, as much as any player that I've been around, has really not changed very much from Year 1 to Year 2," Belichick said on the "Dale and Holley Show", which was hosted by Dale Arnold, Andy Hart and Jerry Thornton.

Butler has had a great camp as well. He started at left corner in the Patriots preseason opener against the Packers and only played for one series. When he was in the game, he was very effective. He only allowed one catch and was targeted three times, with one pass breakup coming in the end zone. He had tight coverage the entire way.

This may indicate how Belichick and the coaching staff feels about him as a player. There's no reason Butler shouldn't be a starter, and many feel that he will be.

Belichick continued:

"I think he's maintained his level of humility, his lifestyle, his sense of purpose. In a lot of ways, he acts like a rookie out there, like he's starting all over again. Which, in a lot of ways, that's the way it is for all of us; we're all starting all over again.

"I think Malcolm has had a real good perspective and has worked hard. He's had a good camp and I think he'll be ready to go."

During camp, Butler intercepted Tom Brady a few times and was glued to all the receivers he covered, including Julian Edelman. If he keeps practicing and playing at a high level, he could be a star. Granted, we only have a small sample size to work with, but it looks like he has the intangibles and the skills to be a very good defensive back.

If Belichick is praising a player like that, it can only mean good things.

Follow me on Twitter - @JesseGaunce

For more of my articles, click here.