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Patriots gridiron news: DL Adam Butler the preseason surprise of 2017

By Tarringo Basile-vaughan

FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 12: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Gillette Stadium on December 12, 2016 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 12: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Gillette Stadium on December 12, 2016 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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With decisions for the New England Patriots final 53-man roster looming, another Butler is forging his way onto the team.

We’ve seen Malcolm Butler go from an undrafted rookie free agent to Super Bowl hero to one of the top corners in the NFL.  Now another undrafted rookie is vying to take a similar path with the New England Patriots.

Meet Adam Butler.

An undrafted free agent defensive lineman from Vanderbilt, Butler has impressed in training camp and has taken advantage of his opportunity thus far in the preseason.

At 6-foot-5, 300 pounds, the big defensive lineman has shown an ability to penetrate the pocket as well as a strong presence against the run. With a combination of quickness and power, Butler is giving the Patriots the versatility along the defensive line the team is seeking.

When it comes to the intangibles and versatility, Butler has certainly impressed Bill Belichick, the man who matters most.

"“Adam’s had a strong camp,” Belichick said during Saturday’s press conference.  “We talked about it the other day.  He’s played in a number of different spots, which he did last night [Friday].  He played on the center, on the guard, on the tackle, even on the tight end for a couple of snaps.  [He has] a long way to go, got a lot to learn but he’s a grinder.  He comes to work every day and tries to work to get better on the things that he needs to work on.  He’s been a tough, consistent guy that’s shown up and continued to get better.”"

With the released of defensive end Kony Ealy, Butler appears to have a strong shot to make the team.  At the very least, he is a practice squad candidate if he doesn’t get scooped up by another team should he get cut.

Related Story: New England Patriots to cut ties with DE Kony Ealy

While it is tough to predict any Belichick roster moves at this time of the season, another strong performance in the final preseason game against the New York Giants will give the head coach something to really think about.

Patriots release Matt Lengel and Caleb Kidder 

A day after the release of defensive end Kony Ealy, the New England Patriots announced a couple more cuts on Sunday.

According to Patriots.com, the team announced the release of TE Matt Lengel and rookie DE Caleb Kidder.

While Kidder is not a surprise, the release of Lengel does open up some questions.  The 6-foot-7, 266-pound tight end was in competition for the third tight end spot behind Rob Gronkowski and Dwayne Allen.  Due to injury, he didn’t get a chance to compete for the spot in preseason, which now opens the possibility of the team only keeping two tight ends.

It also means either tight end James O’Shaughnessy or undrafted rookie tight end Jacob Hollister could be vying for that spot if the team does go with three tight ends.

Next: New England Patriots week 1 history after a Super Bowl win

Lengel initially signed with the Patriots from the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad in November of 2016.  He caught two receptions for 22 yards and a touchdown in the three regular seasons he played.  He also played in all three postseason games.

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