Patriots Strike Deal with Butler

Second-round draft pick Darius Butler has reached a deal with the New England Patriots, as the team signed the former UConn cornerback to a four-year deal over the weekend. Butler’s agent Drew Rosenhaus was the first to get the news out, reporting on his Twitter page, “We are excited to announce that Darius Butler has agreed to terms on a 4 year deal with the Patriots. He was the 41st pick.”

Darius Butler is the second of New England’s 12 draft picks to sign a contract with the team, striking a deal after lineman Rich Ohrnberger last month. Butler’s deal includes a reported base salary of $310,000 in 2009, $395,000 in 2010, $582,500 in 2011 and $770,000 in 2012, while he will also get a roster bonus of $440,000 and guaranteed option bonus of $1.6275 million. In college, Butler was a four-year starter for the Huskies, and he impressed Bill Belichick and the Patriots from Pro Day. Director of Player Personnel Nick Caserio spoke of Butler shortly after the draft this spring, saying, “Quite frankly, we were surprised he was on the board at No. 41. He’s a pretty versatile guy - his Pro Day workout, it was a real impressive workout. He’s a good kid, a good character kid. We’re excited to have him here.”

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