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Bodden a Patriot
One of the biggest mistakes the Lions made last year was extending Leigh Bodden's contract to include an $8.6-million roster bonus. That payment forced the Lions to cut Bodden last month - say what you will, he was their best cornerback last year - and now the unwanted man has found a new home with the New England Patriots.
Lions general manager Martin Mayhew has said Bodden's release was "100 percent" contract related, meaning the Lions would have kept him if not for that poorly conceived (or poorly agreed to) bonus. The fact that the Patriots signed him to a one-year deal tells me some of the league's best talent evaluators believe he still has something left to give.
The Lions have signed two cornerbacks this offseason in Eric King and Phillip Buchanon and traded for another who might become a safety in Anthony Henry. They still need help in the secondary. Bodden wouldn't have cured their problems, but he might have allowed them to spend their money differently this offseason. Maybe on a linebacker or tight end, two positions of desperate need. Maybe on a better No. 2 receiver.
Either way, I'm willing to bet Bodden does better than one interception next year.
Lions general manager Martin Mayhew has said Bodden's release was "100 percent" contract related, meaning the Lions would have kept him if not for that poorly conceived (or poorly agreed to) bonus. The fact that the Patriots signed him to a one-year deal tells me some of the league's best talent evaluators believe he still has something left to give.
The Lions have signed two cornerbacks this offseason in Eric King and Phillip Buchanon and traded for another who might become a safety in Anthony Henry. They still need help in the secondary. Bodden wouldn't have cured their problems, but he might have allowed them to spend their money differently this offseason. Maybe on a linebacker or tight end, two positions of desperate need. Maybe on a better No. 2 receiver.
Either way, I'm willing to bet Bodden does better than one interception next year.
Labels: Anthony Henry, Detroit Lions, Eric King, Leigh Bodden, Martin Mayhew, Phillip Buchanon
posted by Paula Pasche at
9:00 PM
6 Comments:
Ummmm Dave, he signed a 1 year deal for the vet minimum. He stinks. The Patriots have been taking the lions leftovers lately for some strange reason and Bodden will last and produce just as much as Fernando Bryant did for them last year. By the way, Lauranitis is highly overrated and shouldn't be taken before the 3 rd.
Dave I am with you that Bodden was our best CB. The Tampa 2 system the coaching staff did not help him. I believe he is more of a man-man CB than a zone that he played for us. I think Lewand made a huge mistake by extending him. He was already an enigma before coming over from Cleveland. We just put the Lions touch on him. Maybe the Pats will coach him to play up to the potential he had before coming to Detroit.
bodden and furrey publicly threw the regime under the bus. once you do that, it's game over, period. can't be having players that openly question or dispute the philosophies of the coaching staff. it was time for them to go and i say it was for the best.
why is there a report by gil brandt on nfl.com that says our OL coach is pat morris? was that a mistake on his part or what's the deal there, dave?
http://blogs.nfl.com/2009/03/10/oklahomas-smoothly-run-pro-day-features-several-standouts/
Since Romeo Crennel is the New England defensive coordinator and coached Bodden in Cleveland, the Pats decided to sign him. However, if a league desperate for CBs where guys who have mostly been 3d CBs like Jabari Greer, Dom Foxworth, and others got huge money (heck, Andre Goodman got 5 years $25 Million), the fact that Bodden could only get $750,000 means that other teams can watch tape too and see that Bodden quit on the team down the stretch. That's why only an old coach was willing to take a chance on Bodden.
Bodden signed for one year, $2.25 million according to the Boston Herald. Regardless of what the terms are, he was the Lions best cornerback last year and, in my opinion, would be a starter next year considering who's currently on the roster. He wasn't worth $8 million and they sure weren't going to bring him back after the things he said, but I'd be willing to bet on a decent 2009 from him if I were running an NFL team.
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