Reed showed right away what he was capable of in TC his rookie year in 1985. Not his fault that he had Vince Ferragamo and Bruce Mathison throwing to him as a rookie.
I ain't denying Butler's talent, but he isn't in Andre Reed's class, pure and simple.
Reed isn't a benefit of an all time great supporting cast, he is a part of it and without him, it wouldn't work.
If you want to compare early years, Butler had Frank Lewis on the other side and Reed had next to nothing opposite him till Lofton and Beebe came aboard in 1989.