Donald Butler Isnt Very Good

[Big Dog]

It's almost like he stopped taking his roids once he signed that contract ??

[sandiego17]

I'm a Butler fan and wanted to see him back.

But going just off what I see, Gatch had been playing better than him

Oh I agree, but you aren't getting any upside with gatchkar and you might with butler. Butler has been shit, and I too am a fan and was confident he would be back. So far, I (and everyone who wanted him back) has been proven wrong by his play. He stinks.

[rikardo]

Oh I agree, but you aren't getting any upside with gatchkar and you might with butler.

Butler is a FA bust. The sad part is that he was one of our own FA, thats the surprising part, but he is still a FA bust. No need to prolong this, hope we bench him. Last year this D played a lot better when we bench the FA bust (CB Cox), I do know Ingram's return also was part of it and history can repeat this year with the same formula, bench the FA bust and welcome back Ingram.

[richpjr]

I sure hope it is an injury that they are hiding and not him getting lazy after getting his contract.

[TABF]

Did anyone catch Acee on Scott and BR yesterday? I caught the very end and they were talking about Butler and problems, but I didn't get any of the substance as I was too anxious to get home and watch election results.

[richpjr]

Donald Butler: 'I've just got to play better'
November, 5, 2014

By Eric D. Williams

SAN DIEGO -- After a hearing a wave of criticism from the Internet and on talk radio about his performance through the first nine games of the season, San Diego Chargers inside linebacker Donald Butler was succinct in addressing his poor play.

"It is what it is," Butler said. "I've just got to play better."

Butler, 26, has become the embodiment of everything that is wrong with San Diego's defense of late. The Chargers are last in the league in third down and red zone efficiency. That haven't notched a sack in two games, or forced a turnover in three weeks.

Butler signed a seven-year, $51.8 million contract this offseason that includes $11.15 million in guaranteed money.

Butler had issues with staying on the field the past two seasons, missing four games each in 2012 and 2013 due to a lingering groin injury. However, the University of Washington product says he's healthy. He's played in 97 percent of his team's defensive snaps this season, is second in tackles with 57 and has a sack. Those numbers are on par with what Butler has done through his first three seasons.

But along with the missed tackles, what has been absent from Butler's performance the first half of the season is splash plays -- interceptions, sacks and forced fumbles -- the type of plays that swing the momentum of a game in his team's favor.

Butler acknowledged he's not played up to his potential so far this season.

"No, not at all," he said.

Chargers head coach Mike McCoy again reiterated Butler isn't the only person to blame for San Diego's issues on defense.

"Donald has made his fair share of plays from week to week and there are other things you got to correct," McCoy said. "We are not putting this on one player. We are all in this together, players, coaches included, we got to do a better job."

During the bye week, Butler said he's working on simplifying his approach on Sunday.

"Seeing the ball, and going to get ball," he said, with a smile.

[sandiego17]

Screw the splash plays, just make the routine plays that are there and that would be a huge improvement. The missed tackles are embarrassing to watch.

[blueman]

I think the Butler Koolaid is about all drunk up. Another game like the last one, bench his ass.

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

Saints' Jairus Byrd leads list of top 10 free-agent flops


52

















By Chris Wesseling
Around the NFL Writer
Published: Nov. 5, 2014 at 02:24 p.m.
Updated: Nov. 5, 2014 at 03:09 p.m.























Every week, Chris Wesseling will roll out the power rankings for one specific NFL position or attribute.

So far, we have covered running backs, safeties, red-zone threats, throwing arms, quarter-pole surprises, quarter-pole disappointments, franchise cornerstones and players deserving of Pro Bowl consideration.







Since we covered the best free-agent pickups last week, we are turning our attention to the top free-agent failures this week:

1. Jairus Byrd, New Orleans Saints safety: Of all players who changed teams this offseason, Byrd earned the most guaranteed money. A major red flag emerged shortly thereafter when Byrd underwent back surgery in May. He was limited in training camp and exposed as a liability during the Saints' disappointing September. After missing tackles and surrendering big plays, the three-time Pro Bowl selection managed just four games before a torn lateral meniscus ligament ended his season.

2. Dimitri Patterson, New York Jets cornerback: General manager John Idzik shot down Rex Ryan's wishes for Darrelle Revis, Vontae Davis and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, settling instead for journeyman Patterson as the top veteran in a cornerback-reliant scheme. Patterson went AWOL for a preseason game, was suspended by the team and subsequently released before ever seeing regular-season action. The Jets' patchwork secondary featured undrafted former North Dakota State star Marcus Williams as the No. 1 cornerback in his first career start last week.

3. LaMarr Woodley, Oakland Raiders defensive end: When Woodley signed a $12 million contract in Oakland, then-coach Dennis Allen suggested the Steelers had been using him out of position as an outside linebacker for the better part of a decade. Woodley managed three tackles in five games with the Raiders before landing on injured reserve with a torn biceps. Reggie McKenzie's plan to rebuild a depleted roster with paycheck veterans was a head-scratcher from the get-go.






4. Champ Bailey, New Orleans Saints cornerback: The Saints had financial incentive to keep Bailey on the roster after handing him $500,000 guaranteed in April. Instead, they released him before the season once it became obvious that last year's nagging foot injury wasn't going away. Perhaps a more rigorous medical screening is needed in New Orleans.

5. Anthony Collins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers tackle: Pass protection has been a season-long problem for a team that went window shopping for Collins, Logan Mankins and Evan Dietrich-Smith on a refurbished offensive line. Collins has been disappointing enough that there's talk of moving him inside to guard. Check the honorable mention list below. The Bucs dug deep in their pockets for a slew of veterans and came up with a handful of lint.

6. Hakeem Nicks, Indianapolis Colts wide receiver: Nicks wisely chose the Colts on a one-year, make-good deal to rehab his market value. Unfortunately, a multitude of early-career leg injuries have robbed him of the ability to separate from defensive backs. Standing in the way of a better player in rookie Donte Moncrief, Nicks is no better than the seventh or eighth option in Andrew Luck's top-ranked aerial attack.

7. Chris Johnson, New York Jets running back: For a few brief flashes in last week's game, Johnson and Michael Vick finally met Dan Hanzus' offseason hopes. It's more telling, though, that Johnson has spent the majority of the past month on the bench of a 1-8 team after being outplayed by Chris Ivory. Looking down the barrel of age 30, Johnson's starting days are over.







8. Toby Gerhart, Jacksonville Jaguars running back: The Jaguars spent the offseason hyping Gerhart as a workhorse back who would be the focal point of their offense. After attributing his disappointing September to run-blocking woes, it quickly became obvious that he was the problem when Denard Robinson rushed for 329 yards in a three-game span.

9. Maurice Jones-Drew, Oakland Raiders running back: The Raiders are on pace for the worst rushing attack since 1946. From here on out, any Jones-Drew carry is a wasted carry. The end is nigh for one of the NFL's most fun players to watch from 2006 through 2011.

10. Donald Butler, San Diego Chargers linebacker: The Bolts shelled out $28 million in guarantees to re-sign Butler as a nucleus player in their front seven. Through nine weeks, they rank 31st in Football Outsiders' defensive metrics, with Butler missing too many tackles and struggling in coverage.

[Formula 21]

Butler's ain't gonna get 28 million guaranteed. And at about 3 million per year for the last two years, he's affordable as a backup.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, San Diego Chargers middle linebacker Donald Butler's new contract could be worth up to $48 million over seven years.

Butler
But essentially, according to Rapoport's report, the contract is a three-year deal worth nearly $20 million, with $12 million guaranteed.

According to Rapoport, Butler's contract has a team option after the third year, in which the Chargers can pick up the final four years of the contract at an average between $8 million and $9.5 million per year. That portion of the contract includes another $15 million in guaranteed money.

My initial reaction is that's more than I thought it would take to sign Butler, a good player who has shown potential but has yet to make a Pro Bowl in his four-year professional career. I also wonder if Butler would have received a similar deal out on the open market.

However, I give Chargers general manager Tom Telesco credit for negotiating a creative contract that keeps a player the organization coveted in the fold, but also protects the franchise in case Butler continues to have injury issues.

[richpjr]

Michael Gehlken @UTgehlken 27m27 minutes ago
Chargers used new rotation Sunday at ILB. Donald Butler only on base defense. Played 30 of 60 snaps. First nine games: 568 of 597.

[blueman]

Genius.