Bodden... and his future

by Ogor on Nov 23, 2009 12:28 AM EST Comment 17 comments

So, when the season began, NE tried to sigh the young CB to a 4 year 16 million dollar deal. He instead opted for a 1 year incentive laden contract, believing his skill set deserved more money. So here we are 5 inceptions later (3 today) after without a doubt his best game of his career. So where does that leave his future? I argue daily with my step-brother about how former NE players do outside the system (none have shined except maybe Asante), and we talk about what drives a player: more money, or the chance at a ring. I think Bodden takes a less than market deal and stays with NE, as long as it is a competitive deal. He has played for some lousy teams, and for the first time ever he has a chance to be a great player on a team that has success. Does he cash in, and go back to the AAA ball clubs? Or does he mature and realize that money isn't everything, and as long as he gets a good value for his skills, its better to be on a great team.

I hope NE pays him well and he sticks around. The one thing we have truely lacked since Ty Law left is an elite shutdown corner, and I think Bodden has the ability. Time will tell....

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I think we'll sign him to a 3 year deal.

We have a bunch of young guys in the wings to take over, but Bodden’s still in his prime. We’ve missed our shutdown corners the past couple of years so if Bodden can elevate his game the rest of the season, I can see the Front Office realizing his value as a top tier corner and that they’ll pay him a little more than they’d like to pay someone.

by The Hill on Nov 23, 2009 12:58 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Bodden's printing money now.

Belichick has been unwilling to overpay corners before including Law and Samuel, so it would depend how much Bodden is asking. Also has he really shut anyone down without help? I don’t think so. I like him and hope they can swing a deal.

My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.

by SlotMachinePlayer on Nov 23, 2009 2:58 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

He's not a true shut-down

He doesn’t quite have that elite speed/acceleration/jumping combination that makes Asomugha, Champ Bailey, etc so dangerous. What he does have are better-than-average instincts, and a fairly sharp tackle. I particularly like how he’s come up on run and screen passes and laid on some big hits.

He’s more than servicable, but his own history might be his demise – he was an undrafted free agent, after all. Hoodie would rate his scouting and drafting ability more than his need to re-sign a guy for top CB money. He banked on it when he got rid of Law, he banked on it when Samuel forced his way out, and he’ll bank on it if Bodden wants top money elsewhere.

What might factor is in Springs. Springs seems to have become the fifth wheel in the defensive backfield, and if they cut him, they might free up some money to throw Bodden’s way. That’s the only way I’d imagine him being kept; otherwise he’s forcing his way out in search of due consideration.

Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.

by Comedic.Sans on Nov 23, 2009 4:34 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Think I'm ready to take Bailey off the list -- and maybe replace him with Revis or one of the kids from Miami.

As Mr. Sloan always says, there is no "I" in team, but there is an "I" in pie. And there's an "I" in meat pie. Anagram of meat is team... I don't know what he's talking about. --Shaun of the Dead

by JohnHannahRules on Nov 23, 2009 9:11 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It's a little early for the Miami kids...

…but Revis is DIRTY.

by The Hill on Nov 23, 2009 1:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

True, I left him on if only to remind people what one looked like

Even if he isn’t quite a shutdown any more. For half a dozen years he was the best around, though. And I would wager he can still out-sprint, -jump, -manoeuvre Bodden in a one-on-one; he’s just not quite Champ Bailey-ish any longer.

Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.

by Comedic.Sans on Nov 23, 2009 3:40 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

But you know what makes Bodden different from our old CBs?

He finishes his tackles. That’s something Hobbes and co. never did.

by The Hill on Nov 23, 2009 8:42 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

u forgot Ashante Samuel

that genius jumped routes and was way too aggressive…remember black sunday and the fact that he didn’t stay w. tyree

by mathew.40 on Nov 23, 2009 9:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

To be fair, that looked like they were in a zone set

And if there was ever a situation where you could abandon your zone/man, it’s one where the defensive line has three sets of hands on the QB, after the QB scrambled 10 yards out of the pocket, and all the routes collapsed because the timing was out. That was a freak play in a completely broken-down situation.

He seemed too aggressive in other situations, especially given his safeties played closer to the line than you’d otherwise have found in the NFL – Harrison playing that hybrid S/LB role. That was more damaging to his reputation that that single play during the Superbowl.

Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.

by Comedic.Sans on Nov 23, 2009 9:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Bodden may not be built tobe a top Cb, but makes it up cuz he's smart

Lodden finish tackles, and doesn’t always go for the big play. Rather than forcing the big play he waits for it. That’s why he really blows coverage or people get big plays on him. He may not be shutdown but he def is good enough to limit guys. Also bodden doesn’t just focus on one man and move around where he is needed. unlike the great revis who may have shut down moss, but left the rest of team left out to dry,with a 200 yrd preformance by welker. Revis was too busy fighting his own personal battles to realize that welker is brady’s guy to move the ball…

by lololol on Nov 23, 2009 10:18 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

that was key

The Patriots were more than happy to concede Moss to the Jets, who made their game-plan knows earlier in the week. In his press conference last night, Welker said he knew he’d be getting the ball a lot in that game. So Revis gets to do a bit of personal chest-thumping, but at what cost? The game.

Keep the faith!

by Marima on Nov 23, 2009 11:31 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah

Revis did a great job last night, except for when it counted. He lined up too soft on that TD to Moss… I just don’t get it. All Moss had to do was run up to him and stop.. BAM TD

by Ogor on Nov 23, 2009 11:34 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't think you can really blame Revis for Welker's performance...

…He can’t be expected to smother Moss and THEN go account for Welker. I think it was poor coaching decisions by the Jets. I would have put Revis on Welker and then double covered Moss.

by The Hill on Nov 23, 2009 1:25 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Elite corner?

I am not saying Bodden is already a shutdown corner, but I think he has the ability to be one. He has decent speed, good hands, above average football intelligence and is one of the better tacklers on our team (Sidebar: I loved AT’s tackle yesterday when he picked up the legs of Jones(?) to stop him from trying to gain yards and they essentially carred him).

I really like our rookie/second year class we have right now, and it looks like Whilite is developing nicely, as is Butler. For now, I would be happier with some veteran presence in the CB roster. I was hoping Springs would be that, but he seems to have fallen behind to the 5th or 6th CB spot.

I think we should try to get Bodden resigned at about 4 million a year with a nice signing bonus to offset the lower yearly pay.

by Ogor on Nov 23, 2009 11:33 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Depends how you define shutdown corner, I suppose

I’ve always thought it meant you could effectively sit him on one side of the field, and that side was effectively off-limits to the opposition offence. They either wouldn’t throw anything to that side, or if they did, it was as likely to be a pick-6 or incompletion as anything else.

I remember reading a story a while back about how Asomugha got into the Pro Bowl on the back of 20 tackles and 1 interception, or somesuch. Why? Because his side of the field only got targeted 20 times in the entire season. Opposition QBs had so much respect and fear for the guy that they wouldn’t dare put the ball within 50 feet of him. That seems to me the epitome of a shutdown corner, and I don’t imagine Bodden has quite the athleticism to genuinely take a 50 feet chunk of the field out of play on every snap.

Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.

by Comedic.Sans on Nov 23, 2009 3:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs