Could Malcolm Butler be an Option for Bills?
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Now that the Arizona Cardinals have released troubled cornerback Malcolm Butler from the Reserve/Retired list, making him a free agent, it's intriguing to wonder if he would make sense for the Buffalo Bills.
Butler certainly knows them well, having played against them twice a year as a member of the New England Patriots from 2014 through 2017. Butler played the following three seasons for the Tennessee Titans before signing with the Cardinals last offseason.
However, he left training camp because of a personal situation and never returned. He was placed on the Reserve/Retired list as a result.
Butler has been working out with the possible intention of returning to football in 2022, however, according to multiple reports from NFL.com.
Though he will turn 32 next month, Butler seemed to play his best football most recently, producing career highs of 100 tackles and four interceptions in his final season with the Titans. Two of them came against the Bills as part of a 42-16 romp.
Butler was a Super Bowl hero as a rookie, intercepting a pass by Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson in the closing seconds to preserve a 28-24 win.
But four years later, he was shockingly made a healthy scratch for Super Bowl LII against the Philadelphia Eagles for reasons never fully explained. He never played again for the Patriots, who fell in that game, 41-33.
Butler has 17 regular-season and two playoff interceptions in his seven-year career, he earned a Pro-Bowl berth in the 2015 season.
Because of uncertainty with No. 2 corner Levi Wallace, who is due to become an unrestricted free agent, and No. 1 corner Tre'Davious White, who is coming off an ACL injury sustained in late November, the Bills are expected to be paying attention to all options for bolstering the position.
Many NFL Draft experts have predicted they will use their first-round pick on a corner.
But free agency comes first, and the Bills will explore all options there.
As for Butler, some complicated research by general manager Brandon Beane and his will be required, given a life situation that initially drove Butler to walk away from a starting job with the Cardinals and into retirement.
But his talent is undeniable.
Nick Fierro is the publisher of Bills Central. Check out the latest Bills news at www.si.com/nfl/bills and follow Fierro on Twitter at @NickFierro. Email to Nicky300@aol.com.
