The Sports Xchange

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Malcolm Butler has been a focal point in New England since the final quarter of Super Bowl XLIX and his game-clinching interception that brought a fourth Lombardi Trophy to Foxborough.

The undrafted rookie out of West Alabama became an instant star. He found himself at Disneyland, on late-night TV and in the middle of many parades.

Now, though, it’s back to football at Gillette Stadium as the process of building toward 2015 begins and Butler is notable for far less positive reasons.

Butler was absent from the first six Patriots organized team activities (OTAs), including the first two sessions open to the media.

This week, the Boston Herald reported that Butler was absent from the workouts because he arrived late to the team’s first OTA session on May 26 after his flight back to New England was cancelled. Head coach Bill Belichick then held him out of the OTAs, though Butler was in attendance at Gillette Stadium and took part in other work including workouts and film study.

But Butler returned to practice for the Patriots’ final week of OTA work. Thursday, the sudden star who is expected to compete for a starting job in the wake of an offseason that saw Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner, Kyle Arrington and Alfonzo Dennard depart New England was not only on the field but also met with the media after the session.

After taking reps at left cornerback with the top defensive unit during the practice, Butler didn’t want to talk much about his previous discipline-related absence.

“I really don’t have a comment about that. I’m just glad to get back out here, back participating, getting better. Just trying to get better,” Butler said. “I’m really not going to get into that.”

He did admit it was difficult to not be on the field with his teammates the last couple weeks, but took it in true Belichickian stride.

“Take anything from somebody they love, it was tough,” he said. “But it is what it is.”

Butler didn’t seem to think he’d missed much, though: “Don’t feel like I missed a step. I feel pretty confident.”

Belichick, the man who apparently made the decision to sideline Butler, had no response to a question about the discipline and only tangentially addressed how Butler looked in his return to the practice field.

“Been out there. Everybody that’s out there is working hard. Guys that aren’t out there, we hope we get them back soon,” Belichick said.

The focus has been on Butler for his big play. The focus has been on him for his absence.

Now the focus is simply on Butler’s attempt to win a key role or starting job on a Patriots secondary that has plenty of questions at this early point in the team-building process for the defending champs.

–Running back James White was a fourth-round pick a year ago who saw no significant action as a rookie, serving as a healthy scratch throughout the bulk of his first season. But with Shane Vereen having moved on to the Giants in free agency, there is an opening for the passing-back role in New England. And according to Patriots running backs coach Ivan Fears, White is very much in the mix for that competition.

“I love everything he’s doing, and that’s all I’m going to say,” Fears said. “You know it doesn’t count right now. He’s a part of the puzzle; he’s doing exactly what he has to do. Really good, but like I’m saying to everyone else, when we get going and the (expletive) starts flying, real bullets are flying, we’ll see who is going to be doing what. By what they do on the field, you will know as well as I will know — there will be no secret to it. They have to do it on the field. Know what I mean?”

–Defensive end Jake Bequette, a 2012 former third-round pick out of Arkansas, has spent the spring playing tight end in New England. Bequette has been a clear disappointment on the defensive side of the ball, spending all of last season on the practice squad, but Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels seems intrigued to see what the former Razorback can do at a crowded tight-end spot.

“Jake’s a guy that’s been a defensive football player all of his life, or most of it, so the physical aspect of the game that we don’t get to see out here in spring without any pads on might not necessarily be something that stands out, but we know what we’re going to get when we get to training camp,” McDaniels said. “We’re excited about that. We love his attitude and his approach. He’s a great teammate. We’re happy to have him on our side of the ball, and we’ll see what we can do with him.”