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New England Patriots: Malcolm Butler makes wise decision to attend OTAs

By Nick Ziegler

Feb 2, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Malcolm Butler talks with reporters during the New England Patriots media availability at the J.W. Marriott team hotel in Houston. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 2, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Malcolm Butler talks with reporters during the New England Patriots media availability at the J.W. Marriott team hotel in Houston. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New England Patriots were able to avoid some offseason drama, as cornerback Malcolm Butler decided to attend their voluntary OTAs

While the New England Patriots had a very good offseason, one thing that they didn’t accomplish was figuring out what the future is for Malcolm Butler.

Since his game-saving interception in the Super Bowl win against the Seattle Seahawks a few years ago, Butler has emerged into a very good cornerback. Last season, Butler had arguably the best season of his career, but he was unable to cash in on it because he was a restricted free agent.

With a first-round tender being placed on him, it was unlikely that Butler was going to get a huge contract from another team, as they would have had to give the Patriots a first-round pick in return.

Despite the Patriots’ unwillingness to give him a contract extension, Butler was present at OTAs for New England. While some players skip these voluntary workouts if they are seeking a contract, Butler didn’t want his absence to hurt himself.

"“I wasn’t going to hurt nobody but myself if I missed this,” he told Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. “This is time to get better. That’s what I’m out here to do. Get better. Have another great year. Anything to help the team. Present a positive image.”"

While Butler would certainly like to be paid before the season starts, he isn’t focused on that. For now, it is all about being prepared for the start of the season.

"“Can’t predict the future,” he said to Reiss. “Whatever happens, happens.”"

Seeing Butler at the voluntary OTAs is certainly a good thing for New England. If Butler skipped, it would have caused some unnecessary drama that the team doesn’t need.

Next: Breaking down the wide receiver position in 2017

With Butler at the workouts, he and Stephon Gilmore were able to get used to playing together a bit. In 2017, these two have the potential to be the best duo in the NFL. However, having Butler at OTAs helps ensure the two are sharp early on.

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