It won't be easy turning this corner

Butler was asked what his reaction was when the Patriots traded Hobbs to Philadelphia last Sunday, a move made possible in part by New England drafting Butler with the third of its four second-round picks (No. 41 overall).

"I didn't really have a reaction," said Butler. "It's not going to change anything for my part. I was going to come in here and regardless of who they had on the roster just work my hardest and do what I've got to do to help the team. So, the fact that they traded Ellis Hobbs has no effect on me, except now I have his number."

The 5-foot-10-inch, 183-pound Butler will have to carve out his own path and persona with the Patriots. He's competing for time at a position where the Patriots have undergone a drastic offseason overhaul.

All of Butler's cornerback colleagues - veterans Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs, second-year players Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite, and third-year man Mike Richardson - have a headstart on him since they've been in the offseason program. Just like defending a go route, Butler needs to catch up quickly or risk getting beat.

"Darius has a lot going for him, of course," said coach Bill Belichick, part of the Patriot contingent that put Butler through his paces at UConn's Pro Day March 25.

"He's a good athlete, had a terrific college career, was used in a variety of different roles at the University of Connecticut and has shown good skill. But getting ready to compete against the receivers and the other DBs on our team, he's got a long way to go toward that and to get to that point.

"But hopefully each practice, each day, he'll get a little closer to it, and when we get to the spring camp and the training camp in July he'll be ready to do that. My expectation for all the rookies is that by training camp they'll be ready to compete on this team with the other players."

Butler already showed improvement yesterday. After muffing a pair of punts and looking tardy in coverage in the first session, he intercepted a pair of passes and closed quickly to break up another in the second practice, flashing the potential that caused Deion Sanders to reach out to him and help train him for the combine.

You can't blame Butler for being a little rusty. He hadn't played organized football since Jan. 3, when UConn defeated Buffalo in the International Bowl. Even when he was with UConn, teams didn't throw the ball his way often.

Butler, who had 10 career interceptions at UConn, didn't have a pickoff last season because teams were afraid to throw at him. The South Florida native had more receptions and touchdowns his senior season than the receivers he blanketed.

The Huskies used Butler, who is the cousin of Ravens running back Willis McGahee, on offense in 2008, and he had nine receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown, as well as two rushes for 13 yards and a score. He only allowed six completions for 106 yards and not a single touchdown in coverage.

Butler has already been warned by workout buddies Sanders and former NFL cornerback Kevin Mathis that he won't garner the same kind of respect from NFL quarterbacks as a rookie.

"They obviously told me, 'You're a rookie and if you're out there they're definitely looking for you, those quarterbacks,' " Butler said. "So, the target is going to kind of be on my back instead of away from me right now. I'm sure that's going to be different."

While Butler will have to turn up his play to succeed in the NFL, he's apparently already learned he needs to tone down his idolization for Samuel, who made the Pro Bowl for New England in 2007 and then signed a six-year, $56 million contract to join the Eagles.

Last Saturday on his conference call with the New England media, Butler said he patterned himself after Samuel.

"He [was] obviously a great Patriot and I model myself after him," Butler said. "I've been compared to him by a lot of DB coaches going around on my visits and workouts in the league, and hopefully I can have the same kind of success he had early in his career."

Like any top-flight cornerback, Butler backpedaled fast when asked yesterday about comparisons to Samuel.

"I just said some people had compared me to him," said Butler. "I just want to come out here and play my game and do what I can do best, and be coached up to be even better. I've been blessed with talent and now I just want to make the best of it."

Christopher L. Gasper can be reached at cgasper@globe.com.