Bodden was the rcb or #2 here in the 14 games he started. His stats in context include 3 of 5 INTS coming in the midst of an epic Sanchise meltdown that resulted in his blowhard HC taking over QB management and installing his now famous traffic light system...
He's certainly a starting caliber CB. And he seems to have a good attitude and neither durability or attitude was an issue here. He's not a #1 CB other than by default in a league that doesn't always have 32 #1's starting at lcb. It would be nice to keep him for continuity and unit stability. He'd be fine behind an improved pass rush because he's a pretty good cover corner. He's not the zone blocking ball hawk Asante is, nor is he the shutdown cover corner Revis is. He's probably worth $6M+ given the top ten average is $8M but this market will be hard to decipher since there are limited options but also inherent labor issues looming. At 29 it will likely become a matter of how much signing bonus or guaranteed money someone is willing to hand him knowing a lockout looms and a return to the salary cap thereafter, when he on the wrong side of 30, is essentially a given.
He did become unhappy with his UDFA extension in Cleveland even as he struggled to stay on the field. Which is part of the reason he was traded to Detroit, who gave him an extension to soothe his ego, but it had no guaranteed money and an $8M+ option bonus he never saw (all he got was a $2M 2008 salary boost to $4.7M).
I do think they could use the transition tag on him if as Reiss hinted it was not precluded in his one year deal (which instead only precluded the franchise tag...). That way we get to see what his market is and if it's not too rich for BB's blood we match it. And if it doesn't materialize as Bodden likely anticipates, we offer him something more than $8M in guaranteed money on a 4 year deal with makeable incentives.
