FOXBORO -- Malcolm Butler knew what was coming.
The second-year corner had just been on the wrong end of a touchdown completion from Tom Brady to Julian Edelman, and before he headed back to the defensive huddle, Butler figured he might have a pair of loud, very familiar voices in his ear.
First, Edelman had his say. Then it was Brady's turn.
"When we're at practice," Butler said, "I tell Tom, 'Throw the ball, throw the ball! Throw at me, throw at me!' And when he gets me, he's gonna let me know he threw it. So he let me know he threw it."
For Butler, it was just one chapter in what has been an ongoing camp battle between him, and the duo of Brady and Edelman. As one of the team's top corners going into the season, Butler has often found himself matched up one-on-one with Brady's favorite receiver.
Though Edelman may have the edge as far as repetitions won, Butler has more than held his own. He has stood out as a deflection waiting to happen through four days of training camp, and he's shown noticeable quickness to stay with a variety of different Patriots receivers.
Butler's matchups with Edelman have been the most entertaining, though, and their verbal exchanges can be heard from the sidelines all the way up to the hill separating the Patriots practice fields from Gillette Stadium.
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Butler said on Sunday that, as far as he's concerned, what makes Edelman such a good trash-talker isn't necessarily what comes out of his mouth.
"Most people talk and can't back it up," Butler said. "That's one of the guys that can back it up."
Their audible barrages are good-natured, Butler explained, but he admitted that a dash of smack sprinkled into the everyday jamming, jostling and swatting that goes on between receivers and defensive backs can help get the competitive juices flowing at an above average rate.
"A little trash talk here and there won't hurt," Butler said with a smile. "It's going to bring the best out of both sides. It most definitley makes it [more fun], talk a little trash, play around. [But it's] ll about working at the same time."
Butler has come a long way since this time last year, when he was an undrafted rookie just trying to make the team. Now he's the thorn in the side of one of the most productive receivers in football over the last two seasons -- an opportunity he relishes.
"Going against the best," Butler said of Edelman. "It means a lot. He's not the only guy I'm gonna guard. I'm gonna guard everybody. I want not just him specifically ... I want to go against everybody. But, you know, I want to go against the best just like everybody else wants to go against the best."
On a second consecutive physical day between the Patriots offense and defense, the chatter wasn't limited to Butler, Brady and Edelman.
At the end of the practice, during a goal-line period, Brady threw a pass to Scott Chandler in the end zone that was batted away by Jamie Collins, which prompted some celebrating by some members of the Patriots staff on the sidelines.
On the following play, Jonas Gray ran in for a touchdown, after which Brady turned to the staff members and cheered wildly.
Two more goal-line touchdowns followed with Jimmy Garoppolo under center and LeGarrette Blount taking the hand-off. After each, with Brady looking on as a spectator, he turned and directed his over-the-top celebration toward the staff that had goaded him.
It was done with a smile, but the actions of the ever-competitive Brady carried bite.
At the end of a hot practice, and four consecutive demanding practices, the chatter between the offense and defense was noticeable, but it was taken as a good sign by most players.
Though Collins wasn't about to get involved in the verbal aspect of things -- "I'm not gonna get in anybody's face because I don't want anybody in my face," he said -- even a relatively quiet player like left tackle Nate Solder could appreciate what the verbal barbs represented.
"There's banter all over the place," Solder said. "I think that's just the fun of the game. We're all having fun and enjoying what we're doing.
"It's definitely a sign of how excited guys are. They're working hard and cheering and encouraging their teammates and stuff. I think that's really neat to see."