The Incomplete Deon Butler

by John Morgan on Jun 30, 2009 2:28 PM PDT

Deon Butler is not what you think he is. He's not a finesse burner. He doesn't stick to goes and skinny posts and abhor the middle. He isn't easily jammed. He doesn't play small or slight or "undersized".

He has smooth speed that sneaks up on corners. Kevin Thomas yields a 10 yard cushion on this reception,

1st and 10 at PSU 33 Daryll Clark pass complete to Deon Butler for 27 yards to the USC 40 for a 1ST down.

but Butler blew past Thomas and settled into a soft spot between Thomas and safety Will Harris. It was a deep curl route and a good one. Butler read the defense and timed his break well, coming back for the ball. The speed created the separation: the soft spot between the passed Thomas and the guardedly deep Harris. His speed isn't sudden though, and he looks smooth-fast almost to a fault. Butler is a long-strider that doesn't generate that same kind of speed out of his breaks.

He also isn't adept at tracking the ball in flight.

Butler catches Clark's pass, begins to turn his torso counterclockwise, synchronizes a head fake that freezes Harris before pivoting clockwise towards the sideline. The move gives him a step on Harris and frees him to begin up field. Thomas comes screaming from the backside, Butler slices in separating from Harris, but Thomas jumps and wraps around his shoulder pads. The force turns but does not tackle Butler. Alternately wrapped, trapped and ridden by Thomas and Harris, Butler backpedals, legs churning for an additional six yards. His hard fought 12 yards after the catch is another display of power and open field moves--

Aborted by a Butler screwup. This time it's not a tickytack illegal formation penalty but a kneel down in the open field. Butler is down at the USC 40. Butler, wide open and targeted on a not-perfect, but accurate and catchable pass by Clark, lets the ball into his body and so twisting to secure the pass drops his knee in the turf and ends the play.

We're zeroing in on what Butler is. Final details tomorrow and grade on Thursday.

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If you haven't seen much of Butler, this is worth a look:

http://draftguys.com/index.php/articles/dgtv_1/deon_butler_-wr-_penn_state/

Early prospect watch: RB C.J. Spiller, QB Jevon Snead, OT Ciron Black, DT Gerald McCoy, S Eric Berry, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Ras-I Dowling 6'2, 200, RB Jonathan Dwyer

by Misfit74 on Jun 30, 2009 2:41 PM PDT reply actions

This hands stuff is really cutting into my Butler excitement.

by Nate Dogg on Jun 30, 2009 2:49 PM PDT reply actions

Stating the obvious,

A knee down without contact in the NFL doesn’t end the play. But it does speak to Butler’s awareness.

by Groundhog on Jun 30, 2009 2:55 PM PDT reply actions

It's not the outcome of the play that raised the objection,

but rather that he allowed the ball to dictate his body position unfavorably.

by abender20 on Jun 30, 2009 3:09 PM PDT up reply actions

It does not bother me that much.

I am tired of WRs that put their bodies in run after catch positions, but drop the ball. I’m a much bigger fan of a guy that will secure the catch, even if that means he is sacrificing yards, or letting the ball into his body.

If John comes across some loss of focus type drops, I will be more concerned.

by cashless on Jun 30, 2009 4:00 PM PDT up reply actions

Zeroing in on what Butler is?

Ooh, ooh, I know. A Cylon, right? Crab people?

"Why is it every time I need to get somewhere, we get waylaid by jackassery?" - Dr. Venture

by Eegah on Jun 30, 2009 3:03 PM PDT reply actions

Let's hope that this difficultly adjusting to the ball is only temporary

And that with repeated reps with a decent QB at the professional level it’ll work itself out. Matt throws an exceptionally accurate short-to-medium ball, that will help a lot.

by djafrot on Jun 30, 2009 3:23 PM PDT reply actions

So, there are reasons he wasn't a first-rounder

Thanks for the cold bath of reality!

by Mr Fish on Jun 30, 2009 3:35 PM PDT reply actions

Are you going to crown his ass?

THEN CROWN HIM

by Thomas Beekers on Jun 30, 2009 6:36 PM PDT reply actions

John

I’d really like to hear a college football player that you think has great route running ability. A player that actually sticks their routes as you say. Whether he was in this years draft or is still in college. In my (not so humble)opinion Julio Jones, best route runner in all of college. Then there’s Jordan Norwood(no this is not PSU kool-aid) but after that no WR in college sticks there foot into the ground, shifts on a dime and loses their defender. Maybe those are the only 2 I can think of because my eye during the college football season is mainly in the Big 10 conference. Possibly there are more Norwoods out there(players who fly under the radar), if so who are they?

He also isn’t adept at tracking the ball in flight.

If not adept, then what? an expert? This analysis has to be the most confusing of all of them, Butler is phenomenal at tracking the ball down. When does Butler ever over/under run a pass?

http://www.49ersboard.blogspot.com

by supraman on Jun 30, 2009 7:37 PM PDT reply actions

I don't do this kind of in-depth breakdown for most players, so I can't provide a great answer, but I can tell you some strong route running features I've observed in this last class.

Crabtree is explosive out of his breaks and gets great separation. Robiskie is technically sound, a run it as it’s drawn kind of receiver. Iglesias is good at adjusting to zones. I thought Patrick Turner was one of the more well-rounded route runners I saw and wasn’t surprised he was drafted in the third round. I think the last guy whose route running really popped for me was Anthony Gonzalez.

by John Morgan on Jul 1, 2009 12:09 PM PDT up reply actions

A question:

Many I’ve talked to claim that Jarrett Dillard runs some of the best routes in this class. I’m curious what you opinion is of him, or if you would validate that. Those same people (just discussion friends, not experts, mind you) think Dillard will win a job in JAX over Mike Thomas. When I watched both vids (on what could be a somewhat ambiguous source), draftguystv, I liked Dillards hands and ability to catch the ball quite a bit better than Thomas. I know you liked Thomas coming out, but have you noticed Dillard or have an opinion of him? Anyone feel free to lend feedback, as well as JM, please.

Early prospect watch: RB C.J. Spiller, QB Jevon Snead, OT Ciron Black, DT Gerald McCoy, S Eric Berry, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Ras-I Dowling 6'2, 200, RB Jonathan Dwyer

by Misfit74 on Jul 1, 2009 2:01 PM PDT up reply actions

Crabtree – Well in space explosive players, are explosive. Put Percy Harvin at WR, there’s a good chance he’ll look explosive and get separation out of his breaks(the cause being is that he’s faster then the player guarding him most likely). No way that makes him a good route runner. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIVYmL9wreQ (Jordan Norwood on DraftguysTV) Knowing how/when to use your speed makes someone a good route runner. Of course explosiveness doesn’t hurt while your making your cuts and it can only make you better.. Crabtree is a good route runner, considered adding him in there with the onther 2, but my belief is that he just falls short.

Robiskie – Very sound WR.(Don’t want to go too in depth with a buckeye)

Patrick Turner – The next Jordan Kent? (Which is not a good thing) Don’t see why you would think he’s a good route runner. Please don’t tell me you’re looking at Turner’s highlights vs PSU. PSU’s secondary is disgusting, along with the same ole PSU zones that have voids just about anywhere past 15 yards down field.

Iglesias – Haven’t seen too much of him, but I have it in my head that he’s a product of Bradford.. and cost the Sooners the nat’l title by having the ball being taken right out of his hands.

http://www.49ersboard.blogspot.com

by supraman on Jul 1, 2009 9:33 PM PDT up reply actions

You're second question

take the play above. Butler is wide open. He should pluck the ball out of the air and move up field. Instead he misreads it and lets it into his chest. That’s the reason he had to take a knee, and it’s not a hands problem but a problem reading that pass and timing his catch.

Clark can knuckle his throws and I am interested in how Butler looks receiving for a better quarterback.

by John Morgan on Jul 1, 2009 2:07 PM PDT up reply actions