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Victor Butler’s2014 season went black when he tore his ACL during the Saints’ last organized team activity in July, but he was as colorful as ever after completing the first three-day OTA session of 2015.

Butler, an outside linebacker who followed former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryanto New Orleans as a free agent a year ago, admitted his time away from football was miserable.

“I’m just happy to be out there with a helmet playing football again,” he said. “Missing a whole year was heartbreaking. It’s like an alcoholic not being able to drink, a fish out of water. I was feeling horrible.”

The Saints still finished fourth in the NFL in total defense last year, a dramatic improvement from 2012, when they set a record for most yards allowed. The question now is what role Butler will have for a unit that played well without him. Outside linebacker Junior Galette had a career year with 12 sacks. Parys Haralson added 30 tackles and 3½ sacks.

“My role is to get out there and make this defense even better, whether that’s coming off the bench or coming out the tunnel first,” Butler said. “You get out there in OTAs and minicamps and training camp and let your play do the talking for you.”

After predicting the Saints would go from worst to first in defense last summer, Butler said he felt vindicated by their performance, even if he was not a part of it.

“Last year wasn’t even really a prediction,” he said. “Just like when you go outside and you know the sky is blue, when you get in this locker room and you look at these guys, I knew they were going to be a top 10 defense. Period. I feel like we’re going to be even better this year.”

Other tidbits: Linebacker Victor Butler glad to be back after missing 2013 season with injury | Saints | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, LA

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