Belichick: CB Butler has made 'huge jump from year one to year two'

Most people remember New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler for his incredible play to win the Super Bowl, but he's more than just a one-hit wonder. He's developed into a starting cornerback for the Patriots and is a big reason the Patriots were able to let both Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner go in free agency.

To Bill Belichick, Butler has made big strides since last season, even after he sealed the victory for New England in the most important game of the year.

"Much improved, much improved on everything," Bill Belichick said of Butler, via DJ Bean of WEEI. "He worked hard in the offseason. It’€™s obviously just his second year, the change of lifestyle, becoming a professional athlete, working at this job every day, becoming more mature, more dependable, having a better understanding of what we do, having a better understanding of what our opponents do or the passing game in the National Football League. He’€™s made a huge jump from year one to year two as most of our other players have."

Butler is seen as the No. 1 cornerback on the roster and is expected to fill a similar role left by Revis and Aqib Talib. He'll be expected to take on teams' top receivers and take away the quarterback's No. 1 target. He appears to be up to the challenge, but how do his teammates view him?

"He’€™s a hard worker," safety Devin McCourty said of Butler. "I think that started last year, I guess everyone knows him from coming in in the Super Bowl, but since he came in here in OTAs and everything, he’€™s just been putting in a ton of hard work."

By McCourty's account, he's seen as a playmaker on defense and should be a leader in the secondary as the team's top cornerback. It won't be easy for Butler to follow up the way he ended last season, but that journey will begin in Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

(h/t WEEI)