Leigh Bodden’s Release Raises Eyebrows, But Patriots Have Made These Moves Before

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Oct 28, 2011

Leigh Bodden's Release Raises Eyebrows, But Patriots Have Made These Moves BeforeFOXBORO, Mass. — The news broke the very moment when Patriots head coach Bill Belichick walked to the podium for Friday morning's news conference.

Cornerback Leigh Bodden was released, according to multiple league sources, and Belichick had already moved forward. He declined to comment on the news, and he chose to "skip" a question about Bodden's performance to this point in the season.

At that point, Bodden was no longer a member of the team that's sole concentration was geared toward Sunday's game against the Steelers.

Bodden was a popular member of the locker room, but his former teammates had a businesslike attitude toward the transaction. They were surprised, no doubt, but it's nothing they hadn't seen already.

A vast majority of them had already watched safeties James Sanders and Brandon Meriweather receive their pink slips. Thirty-two players on Friday's 53-man roster were with the Patriots a year ago when they gave the heave-ho to wide receiver Randy Moss.

It's nothing new around Gillette Stadium. Belichick will unload just about anyone who doesn't fulfill expectations.

That was turning into the case with Bodden, who played very well in his first season with the Patriots in 2009 but had only played in five games since signing his contract extension in 2010.

Bodden was inactive in Week 4 against the Raiders, and the two sides did not see eye to eye about the decision. Bodden was listed with a groin injury, but he believed he was healthy enough to play, which might have caused a rift between himself and the coaching staff.

Clearly, there had to be an issue other than performance to release Bodden over cornerback Phillip Adams, and the team is far enough under the salary cap to not have to worry about Bodden's contract until after the season. Then again, Bodden's performance had tailed off in his return from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the entirety of 2010. He seemed to be a step behind, and he was clearly not the same player from the 2009 season.

Devin McCourty took over as the team's top cornerback in 2010, and he was named captain this season, which signaled a change in the ranks. In addition, Kyle Arrington has proven to be more than capable as a starter, and he's tied for second in the NFL with four interceptions. And while rookie Ras-I Dowling has been plagued with a thigh injury, he started in the season opener against the Dolphins — after he was limited through the majority of training camp with a hamstring issue — which shows how highly he is regarded by Belichick.

Antwaun Molden will continue to fill in as the third cornerback while Dowling is unavailable. And since Dowling didn't practice Thursday or Friday, the Bodden transaction had little to do with Dowling's health relative to the immediate future.

The move opens up a roster spot that will likely be necessary for a player from the physically unable to perform list, such as running back Kevin Faulk, defensive lineman Ron Brace or defensive lineman Brandon Deaderick.

Either way, a quiet Friday morning at Gillette Stadium yielded one of the most eye-opening transactions in recent memory. Yet, with the way this team conducts business, it wasn't terribly surprising at all.

Bodden's former teammates had become so numb to these moves that they appeared to be ready to move on.

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