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Why the Detroit Lions should sign the UFL Offensive Player of the Year

   

This week, a clip from the UFL went viral, and for good reason. Iconic coach Wade Phillips—-who is currently the head coach of the UFL’s San Antonio Brahmas—was talking to receiver Hakeem Butler of the St. Louis BattleHawks and let him know that he’s going to talk to NFL teams about giving him a shot.

Wade Phillips Shares Heartfelt Message With UFL Star Hakeem Butler: 'You Need To Be Playing [in the NFL]'

Take a look:

“You’re a hell of a player,” Phillips says. “I’ma tell everybody in the NFL that I talk to (that) you need to be playing.”

It’s a great moment, and shows that everyone involved in the UFL knows the opportunity it presents to elevate the careers of players who were initially looked over. And in the case of Butler, he’s certainly a player that should be on the Detroit Lions’ radar.

Butler fizzled out of the NFL quickly after being selected in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He missed his entire rookie season with the Cardinals following a broken hand, and he was cut before getting a second chance in Arizona. In 2020, he landed with the Philadelphia Eagles, who tried the 6-foot-5, 227-pound receiver as a tight end. He would only make two game appearances, playing almost exclusively on special teams.

And that was it. That was his entire shot at the NFL.

From there, he bounced around the CFL for a couple of years, but never made a game appearance.

However, these spring leagues have given Butler the opportunity he has been missing. In 2023, Butler was a standout in the XFL. He led the league in receiving touchdowns (eight) and finished second in yardage (599) in just eight games. Then in the UFL this year, Butler was named Offensive Player of the Year after catching 45 passes for 652 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games.

With the Battlehawks out of the playoffs, Butler is already expected to meet with the Carolina Panthers, but the Lions should try to be next on the short list.

While Detroit is expected to have an explosive offense again in 2024, they are still figuring out how to fill the hole left by Josh Reynolds’ free agency departure. The Lions are hoping either Antoine Green or Donovan Peoples-Jones can fill that void, but neither looked too impressive in spring camp, and this is a team that doesn’t shy away from healthy competition.

Butler can also provide many of the things Reynolds did for the team. He’s a tall, speedy receiver who would give the Lions a weapon who can haul in contested catches.

So why did Butler bust in the NFL initially? Well, coming from Iowa State, his route tree was fairly limited, and many draft experts believed him to be very raw. At the NFL level, Butler barely ever got on the field, even in the preseason. He only made two exhibition appearances his rookie season before suffering his hand injury, and in his second year, the preseason was cancelled due to COVID.

The XFL and UFL have given Butler a chance to actually develop his skills in game situations. And while there may still be legitimate concerns about his ability to separate, it’s clear this guy deserves another shot at the NFL, and the Lions would be a great place for him to land. In Detroit, there would be both opportunity and a strong coaching staff to help develop his game even further.

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