Riders’ Butler is looking to bounce back in 2019

Crezdon Butler bounced around the NFL before signing with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2017.

His nomadic journey continued last season, but in different ways. The veteran defensive back was shifted around within the Roughriders’ defence — but he also was moved onto and off of the active roster.

Butler arrived at Saskatchewan’s training camp last weekend with an eye on regaining a starting job, or at least solidifying his spot on the roster. Even so, he and his fellow DBs at times have been working in different spots.

“Right now, with the scheme, everybody’s got to know everybody’s position,” Butler said this week following a training-camp session at Griffiths Stadium on the University of Saskatchewan campus.

“In camp, you definitely want to practise that, moving from field half to field corner to (strong-side linebacker) to free safety. You want to know every position because injuries happen and you don’t want to be lacking at a position. You just want to plug and play.”

In 2017, Butler signed with the Roughriders during training camp. His résumé featured 46 NFL games from 2010 through 2016 and stops in that league with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals (twice), Washington Redskins, Buffalo Bills, San Diego Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Detroit Lions (twice) and Seattle Seahawks.

The 6-foot-1, 191-pounder out of Clemson University cracked the Roughriders’ lineup three games into the 2017 regular season and he became a fixture in the secondary.

He began the 2018 campaign as one of the Roughriders’ starting defensive halfbacks and played the first seven games at that position. But he was replaced by Loucheiz Purifoy in Saskatchewan’s eighth regular-season game — and that began a stretch in which Butler was on and off the roster.

Over the Roughriders’ final 11 regular-season games, he was scratched five times, in the lineup four times and placed on the one-game injured list twice. When he did play, he lined up at corner in place of Jovon Johnson.

Even though Johnson retired in the off-season, Saskatchewan’s secondary still could feature five veteran starters in 2019. Purifoy and Ed Gainey could be the halfbacks, Butler and Nick Marshall could be the corners and Mike Edem could be the safety.

Nationals Elie Bouka (who returns to the Roughriders after a season in the NFL) and Denzel Radford (who missed the 2018 season due to injury) are back this season. They’re joined by Canadian rookie Jacob Dearborn and Global player Javier Garcia.

Competition for the internationals is being provided by CFL newcomers Valentino Blake, Blace Brown, Davon Jernigan, L.J. McCray, Solomon Means and Stephen Roberts.

Butler believes the group has gelled well during camp.

“On the back end, you’ve got to talk a lot,” said Butler, a product of Asheville, N.C., who turns 32 on Sunday. “The receivers are moving in the backfield and they’re moving at the line of scrimmage, so you’ve definitely got to build a chemistry that you can trust going into a game.

“I can see right now that it’s developing pretty well.”

Whoever lines up in the secondary will have a tough act to follow. In 2018, Saskatchewan’s DBs helped the team set a CFL single-season record with eight interception returns for touchdowns and tie single-season league marks for defensive TDs (11) and return touchdowns (15).

Butler believes a similar season could be in the offing.

“Adding Micah (Johnson) along with A.C. Leonard, it’s going to be great for us in the back end,” he said, referring to two pass-rushing defensive linemen whom Saskatchewan signed in the off-season. “We definitely have a chance to break that record from last year.

“With the guys we’ve got returning in the back end, we’re a veteran group, so we’re working together and hopefully those balls come our way.”

That said, Butler knows he has to contribute more in that area: In 26 career regular-season games, he has yet to record an interception.

“I’ve had chances to make some interceptions that I just knocked down and guys are on me,” he said with a chuckle. “My first year here, I had a lot of (pass breakups) and didn’t have any interceptions and then last year I had one taken away against Calgary.

“(The goals this season) are getting my hands on the football and being that veteran guy who you can come to and ask anything.”

— With files from 650 CKOM’s Wray Morrison