Name:Brice Butler
Position:WR
Height:6-3
Weight:205
College:San Diego State
Draft: 207th overall by Oakland, 2013
Games Studied: 2015 preseason vs. STL, MIN, ARZ, SEA
Report:Brice Butler has all the measureables that scouts look for in a receiver. He's listed with 4.39 speed coming out of college, but when you watch him play, it takes him a few strides before he is hitting top gear.
I would not call him a sudden player or initially quick, but he can cover some ground once he gets going. He had a nice slant in the Arizona game where he showed a little burst inside against press coverage. Was used on bubble screens out of the slot where he was able to get going once he had the ball in his hands.
He dropped what would have been a sure touchdown on a "stutter- go" against Seattle, where he sold the route well – then was able to gain vertical separation. Showed good body control in that same game against the Seahawks, where he got behind the corner and was able to high-point a ball while getting both feet in bounds. He absolutely had to find space on the play, and he was able to do that.
There are snaps where he plays like he is tall, or too upright, when he is running routes. He'll almost come to a stop to make a cut or curl back for the ball. He will need work here to be cleaner in his routes. On a similar note, I would like to see him take more of an advantage of his size when running his routes. He gets beaten up going down the field -- needs to fight the defender better.
He turned down a slant against the Seahawks where he took a peek at the safety inside and didn't finish. He does have an idea of what to do with the ball in his hands. He had a touchdown against St. Louis where he caught an option route underneath and showed a burst into the end zone. He's got some versatility the Cowboys' coaches will value, as the tape shows him having experience to both line up at the "X" -- Dez Bryant's primary position -- as well as in the slot.
For a tall guy, he's got a knack for making tacklers miss in space. He has talent to be more than just a flash player, but I would like to see him be more consistent with the opportunities that he gets.
