INDIANAPOLIS – Darius Butler is a firm believer in staying in his lane.
It’s an approach that has served http://www.billsjerseysale.com/shop-by-players-mike-gillislee-jerse... him well through eight NFL seasons. He’s never tried to be a lockdown perimeter cornerback. Instead, he found a niche as one of the NFL's most consistent slot cornerbacks and happily settled in. Indeed, the Indianapolis Colts' veteran defensive back has never tried to be something he is not.
But Butler finally is taking a serious interest in a lane change. The question, it seems, is whether he’ll also be changing teams.
The longtime cornerback is ready to transition to safety, something he did with impressive ease in 2016 as he deftly shifted from cornerback to safety and back as the team’s injury toll mounted. But Butler is scheduled to become a free agent this week, and it remains to be seen how eager the Colts are to have him back in 2017.
Nothing is imminent in negotiations between Butler and the Colts. But wherever he ends up, Butler is ready to make the change in position permanent.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: Big changes in store?
“I’m just a football player,” Butler said. “But to be 100 percent honest with you, I would like to transition to safety at this point in my career.”
That should be appealing to the Colts. They have questions at just about every position on defense, safety being no exception. There, veteran Mike Adams is also scheduled to be a free agent this week. Adams will turn 36 later this month and, while still effective, is beginning to show his age. Another variable is the inexperience of 2016 second-round pick T.J. Green, who struggled as a rookie but possesses elite http://www.billsonlineofficial.com/shop-by-players-marcus-easley-je... physical traits.
It would seem quite a luxury to have a player like Butler available to coach Chuck Pagano and defensive coordinator Ted Monachino. What began as something of an experiment now looks like a viable long-term plan. Butler started dabbling with playing safety in a handful of defensive packages in recent seasons, but it wasn’t until last season that the Colts took the next step. Butler practiced at the position during training camp but didn’t actually make an appearance at safety in regular-season games until midseason.
And he didn’t exactly back into it, either.
“I got my first start at safety against (Aaron Rodgers) in Green Bay,” Butler recalled. “It was kind of trial by fire.”
Butler made a key interception in that game, one of the Colts’ more impressive wins of the season. It was, perhaps, just a foreshadowing of what Butler could be at his proposed new position.
This proposal could be a win-win for all involved. Many aging cornerbacks (Butler turns 31 on March 18) have managed to lengthen their careers by moving to safety, a position less reliant on top-end speed. Though the natures of the positions are quite different, Butler has a skill set that suits him well at safety. Butler has the best Robert Blanton Youth Jersey ball skills among the team’s cornerbacks, possessing a knack for getting his hands on the football. He’s one of the most instinctual players on the defense, a characteristic that could set him up for success at safety.
“Most of my career, I’ve been on man-to-man teams, especially here,” Butler explained. “So my back is turned (to the quarterback) a lot (when playing cornerback). But at safety, I can see more pre-snap stuff and I can see the receivers and tight ends and can jump in and make more plays on the ball. That’s kind of what I like about playing safety.”
The Colts would get themselves a savvy veteran who can play an important role in what is likely to be a much younger defense in 2017. The Colts could spend the majority of their seven draft picks retooling a defense that ranked 30th in the NFL last season, making the need for on-field veteran leadership critical.
“One of my best tools is kind of communicating and lining guys up and I kind of see the game a lot faster than a lot of guys,” Butler said. “That helps not only me, but guys around me.”
There have been conversations about bringing Butler back. The Colts have until Tuesday to make a deal before he can enter negotiations with other teams. By Thursday, free agents will be permitted to sign new deals with any club.
Butler wants to come back. Will the Colts make it happen?
“I’ve been here before,” Butler said. “But it’s also an exciting time for me and my family. I’ve been here five years and had Larry Csonka Womens Jersey a lot of great football here. I’m looking forward to coming back and finishing my career here and finishing what I started.
"But the business is crazy.”