You figured that after sticking by him after he missed the entire 2010 season, the Patriots would make full use out of Leigh Bodden. The talented cornerback was a star for the Patriots in 2009, being the only dependable cornerback on a roster that included Shawn Springs, Jonathan Wilhite and Darius Butler.
Well now Bodden has joined those illustrious names as players who the Patriots have decided to move on from after playing 222 snaps of the 2011 season, featuring prominently in every game bar the Week 4 encounter with the Raiders.
Were the Patriots right? Does Bodden have something left to offer? If so, what teams could be interested? Let’s find out.
Patriots staying young at Cornerback
If there’s a team that likes taking a chance on rookie cornerbacks, it’s the New England Patriots. Over the past three and a bit seasons they managed to give starts to Jonathan Wilhite and Terrence Wheatley (2008), Darius Butler (2009) and Devin McCourty (2010), before going with Ras-I Dowling this year. Youth doesn’t scare them and it has worked at times. Butler (-1.9 coverage grade in 2009) wasn't terrible as a rookie, and McCourty (+9.4 coverage grade) was our rookie of the year for 2010.
So moving on from Bodden does follow a predictable trend for the Patriots, it’s just they do look awfully thin at cornerback right now. The aforementioned Dowling has managed just 93 snaps after injuring himself against the Chargers in Week 2, which leaves the current depth chart of McCourty (whose struggled we discussed here), Dowling (who is just returning from injury), Kyle Arrington (who is playing reasonably well) and Phillip Adams. For those interested in Adams he managed 76 snaps for the 49ers last year, so we’re not in a position to tell you much about him other than the 49ers obviously didn’t think much of a guy they drafted in 2010.
So on the surface it seems an odd move for the Patriots as they prepare to do battle with a Steelers outfit that has four wide receivers who can cause you plenty of problems. Why would you decide that now is the time to cut your one experienced cornerback? Even if Dowling is good to go against Pittsburgh, surely the insurance policy Bodden provided was worth keeping around? It’s an odd move no matter how you look at, unless of course Bodden was struggling so badly that you’re better off not having him on the field. Only he wasn’t.
Plenty left in the tank
You do wonder when guys come back from injury if they can come back and play to the level that we were accustomed to seeing from them. Bodden missed the entire 2010 season and so there was always going to be that question mark heading into the season. Well the former undrafted free agent has done a pretty good job of answering those questions through five appearances this year. 22 times he has been targeted in coverage, with just 12 completions allowed for 192 yards and one touchdown. Throw in the fact he’s broken up four passes and you’ve got a healthy stat sheet that is reflective of a performance that has earned him a +2.7 grade in his 169 snaps in coverage. Sure he hasn’t played like a Darrelle Revis clone, but then who has? The fact, for us, is that he’s been the best corner in a secondary short on players playing well, and short on bodies.
So where?
Still, one man’s trash can be another man’s treasure. While the Patriots may not want Bodden there are plenty of teams that could do with a veteran cornerback who has shown he can still go, so let’s break down the five teams with a need for a player like Bodden.
Seattle Seahawks
They’ve lost Walter Thurmond and Marcus Trufant for the year, but on the plus side have a roster capable of retaining the NFC West. As much as Brandon Browner has improved since Mike Wallace gave him the run around, do you really feel confident with Browner and Richard Sherman as your starting cornerbacks? It should be noted the Seahawks are also a team that has had massive success with other teams discards. Look at how they turned the careers around for Raheem Brock, Chris Clemons and Mike Williams in 2010, and Alan Branch this year.
New York Giants
Do the Giants really want to be using Antrel Rolle as a slot cornerback in their nickel defense? He’s a safety for a reason (mainly because he failed as a cornerback), so bringing in Bodden would allow them to either move Aaron Ross into the slot in the nickel, or use Bodden there. He’s done it for the Patriots (57 of his 169 coverage snaps this year have been in the slot), so why couldn’t he do it for the Giants? Sure they have Prince Akumakara coming back, but why rush the rookie if you can bring in a motivated, experienced and talented vet?
St Louis Rams
As good as Al Harris was against the Cowboys (and he was very good), Josh Gordy was just as bad. Even if Justin King is healthy, he’s currently our lowest graded cornerback on the year, with the Rams secondary blighted by injuries to Ron Bartell and Bradley Fletcher. Their 2011 season may be heading nowhere, but this is a fickle industry and they need to pick up some wins. Improving their secondary seems as good a place to start as any.
Atlanta Falcons
You think the Falcons are happy with the play of their secondary? Brent Grimes is playing superbly sre, but let’s face it, Dunta Robinson has been nowhere near value for money. I don’t imagine the Falcons will admit they overpaid and bench him (even if Bodden is a superior player currently), but they could decide that Bodden can handle life in the slot a little bit better than Kelvin Hayden. The former Colt spent his entire time as a Colt covering receivers outside and hasn’t ‘slotted' in all that well in Atlanta.
New York Jets
Out of left field perhaps, but Rex Ryan absolutely loves cornerbacks and is of the belief you can’t have enough of them on the roster. It doesn’t hurt that Bodden is a former Patriot either. As well as Revis is playing, and as locked in as starter and nickelback that Antonio Cromartie and Kyle Wilson are, crazier things have happened.
It was one of those head scratching moves by the Patriots that has people either questioning their sanity, or questioning the questioners for having the temerity to question Bill Belichick. Time will tell if it’s the right move, with an immediate test against the Steelers’ collection of wide-out weapons giving us an immediate chance to pass judgment. The real story of this move however could be where Bodden ends up. He can be a difference maker, and there are always teams in need of one of those.
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