New England Patriots Quotes: Malcolm Butler Happy To Be Back

The New England Patriots opened up practice to the media yesterday, and afterwords, a few players and coaches met with the media.

Here are the highlights: (via Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston)

Malcolm Butler

"“Take anything from somebody they love, it was tough. But it is what it is.”“Don’t feel like I missed a step. I feel pretty confident.”“I really don’t have a comment about that. I’m just glad to get back out here, back participating, getting better. Just trying to get better. I’m really not going to get into that.”“This is a big opportunity I don’t want to mess up, so I have to prepare myself the best way. So that’s what I’m going to do.”"

RB’s coach Ivan Fears

"“They all can catch the ball. They’re all learning. They’re looking very good in the shorts and T-shirts. I’m not going to say anything more than that when the guy is wearing shorts and T-shirts and playing football,” Fears said. “Wait until training camp and let’s see what the guys do when we get out there and the bullets start flying. Because that’s when it’s going to count. Right now, everyone looks good.”“Next thing, of course you should know, is we’re not a one-man team. We build a team. That’s what we’re in the process of doing. We’re building a team and they will decide if they’ll be on that team by what they do,” Fears said, adding that evaluations in organized team activities are based on understanding concepts and the mental part of the game.“There’s a lot going on [in OTAs]; it’s just not the total package there,” he added. “You’re not going to put a stamp on it and say, ‘This guy is going to do it.’ Then we get out there in the first day of pads and he quickly gets run over and we’re saying, ‘What happened to that friggin’ genius that’s out there playing football? He ain’t worth a crap if he can’t block somebody.’“So until we get to that point, all I’m going to say at this point is I really like what these guys are doing. They’re working hard, they’re all talented in their own way, and they will decide by what they do in training camp what we’re going to be. That’s part of building a team.”"

On adjusting to Vereen’s departure: “We’ll find a way. It might not be the same way with a guy like Shane running down the field, but we’re going to find a way to win.”

On James White: “I love everything he’s doing, and that’s all I’m going to say. You know it doesn’t count right now. He’s a part of the puzzle; he’s doing exactly what he has to do. Really good, but like I’m saying to everyone else, when we get going and the [expletive] starts flying, real bullets are flying, we’ll see who is going to be doing what. By what they do on the field, you will know as well as I will know — there will be no secret to it. They have to do it on the field. Know what I mean?”

On Tyler Gaffney: “He’s very capable. Let’s have him tell you the story come August. That’s where we’re going to leave it. Hey, I ain’t talking about anyone in shorts and T-shirts! Not in my game. Let’s keep that straight. There’s too much everybody wants to put on a guy running around in shorts and T-shirts. [Expletive], we all should look good. If they don’t look good in shorts and T-shirts, we have a problem. We have a real problem. So let’s wait until the [expletive] starts happening, let’s see what happens later on when there is another guy on the other side doing something against him.”