Pats release Leigh Bodden

[Calciumee]

Just thinking, other than the 3 pick game against the Jest, I cannot think of another game where he has really stood out!

I always liked him, but never read anything about him not seeming to fit!

 

[Ring 6]

That is the answer that makes the most sense to me. I was thinking that he was not so happy about having to cover the slot.

Of course we are speculating but going from 2/3 at corner to unemployed without an egregriously horrible game very likely has to do with more than ability and level of play.
We seem to overlook that these are people, and on teams and at work it is not rare for someone to be fired/cut/benched who has ability but a bad attitude. Winning isn't about just putting the most cumulative physical ability on the field. Being a team, having a collective attitude means as much or more. The ME guy is rarely worth his ability in the big picture.
Now I'm not castigating Bodden here, but it seems obvious to me that the man was released, not the player.

 

[Simkin]

our proyected starters last year all them are out.

bodden-meri-sanders-butler

 

[Ring 6]

Just thinking, other than the 3 pick game against the Jest, I cannot think of another game where he has really stood out!

I always liked him, but never read anything about him not seeming to fit!

Really, from a TV view watching the games, maybe watching them again on tape, and trying to say we can assess a player is just making a very surface level assessment.
That is why we often rely on how they are used, what the coaches say, and what type of contracts they sign to fill in the blanks. I think the large contract Bodden signed last year elevate his value/ability in the eyes of many, and frankly, its hard to imagine how it could not.
I don't think it is at all coincidental that from that point he missed an entire season and when he returned he was relegated to a lesser role than he had played before. Again, I think it is not just ability and play related, but BB hasn't USED him this season in a way consistent with how he appeared to value him when he handed out that contract a year and a half ago.

 

[Ring 6]

our proyected starters last year all them are out.

bodden-meri-sanders-butler

When you consider that we have had the worst secondary play outside of the first half of 2005 over the last year and a half, that isn't so sobering.
As much as people want to rag on the safeties, safety play wouldn't be any better if those 2 guys were still here.

 

[reflexblue]

another addendum; afterthought:

Folks may complain about BB's track record on draft picks (when he is relying on scouts, sub-coaches evaluations, and recommendations from college coaches and limited info on still developing guys; but his track record on guys where he PERSONALLY SEES their PERFORMANCE versus the BACKUP ON THE ROSTER is pretty darn good.

see: Milloy
Bledsoe
Samuel
Graham
Woody (ok that can count as a maybe miss - but note that neither clev nor Jets used him as a C; but rather RG or RT)
Moss
and the list goes on

There is I don't think a single vet that he has released that has had better performance somewhere else than they did with Pats (You cannot count Curtis due to the Parcell's poison pill). When BB lets you go; you go downhill.

:scared: Jeremy Mincey

 

[Joker]

but BB hasn't USED him this season in a way consistent with how he appeared to value him when he handed out that contract a year and a half ago.

exactly...too much Machiavellian intent is read into moves like this...

 

[Deus Irae]

our proyected starters last year all them are out.

bodden-meri-sanders-butler

Chung was the projected starter, not Sanders

 

[Ring 6]

:scared: Jeremy Mincey

There was quite a lenghtly development process there though, wasn't there.
Thats like chastizing the 49ers for not keeping Brandon Lloyd after he became a starter 5 years later.

 

[dhamz]

Agree that mental toughness, commitment to winning for all 60 minutes has been missing from this defense since the Bruschi/Harrison heyday.

It isn't mental toughness. It is talent that has been missing on defense since the Bruschi/Harrison heyday.

 

[DaBruinz]

What you fail to mention is Butler and Wilhite are both playing on two win teams. If they were getting reps on the Packers or the 49ers than this would be a different story.

As for Meriweather, he was terrible here and we was terrible with the Bears. He got benched one, because his play is awful and two, because he's a safety concern. The guy's been talked to the league on multiple occasions about his reckless tackling.

First off, it doesn't matter how many wins their current teams have. They are playing there because they EARNED the right to play.

As Deus mentioned, Lovie scapegoated his safeties because Lovie is an inept coach. Did Meriweather and Harris make mistakes? Yes. However, the two who replaced them have made even more.

Your assessment of meriweather's play while with the Patriots is absolute garbage and you should stick to talking about things you actually know about.

 

[Ring 6]

First off, it doesn't matter how many wins their current teams have. They are playing there because they EARNED the right to play.

As Deus mentioned, Lovie scapegoated his safeties because Lovie is an inept coach. Did Meriweather and Harris make mistakes? Yes. However, the two who replaced them have made even more.

Your assessment of meriweather's play while with the Patriots is absolute garbage and you should stick to talking about things you actually know about.

So you are saying that Meriwhether was cut by BB and benched by Lovie smith and the conclusion you draw is the Meriwhether is a good safety and Lovie smith is stupid?
If the other guys are playing because they earned it isn't Meriwhether sitting on the bench because he earned it? Or are the coaches that are losing in Carolina and Denver really smart and Smith is really stupid despite the levels of success?

 

[RJB87]

So you are saying that Meriwhether was cut by BB and benched by Lovie smith and the conclusion you draw is the Meriwhether is a good safety and Lovie smith is stupid?
If the other guys are playing because they earned it isn't Meriwhether sitting on the bench because he earned it? Or are the coaches that are losing in Carolina and Denver really smart and Smith is really stupid despite the levels of success?

Remember when people thought Jim Caldwell was a good coach? Turns out we found out who the coach of that offense really was. Like wise, Brian Urlacher coaches that defense, not Lovie Smith.

 

[DaBruinz]

According to Miguel's site, we would have saved $3,450,000 if we cut him at the beginning of this year. So if we prorate that we save about $2,000,000 this year.

A good chunk of change right there. Any way you cut it, Bodden was horrendously overpaid.

Clearly you don't know anything about the salary cap and you definitely don't understand Miguel's site.

First, Bodden is a vested veteran. That means that his salary is guaranteed since he was on the roster for week 1. That also means that there is no "pro-rated" savings. The only way there would be any savings is if another team claims Bodden off waivers as they would be responsible for the rest of Bodden's salary.

Any way you cut it, you just don't know what you are talking about. Especially when you consider that when that contract was signed, Bodden was being paid as a #2(read starting) CB. His contract was actually very decent up until he got injured. And, last I looked, neither you nor Belichick have precognition so you just look pretty foolish with your comments.

 

[DaBruinz]

Ok so i didn't read the 30 pages in this thread. But has there been any explination fron Reese? BB? the organisation? and chatter why this may be the case now? It just seems like an odd move to me.

It saves us 2million, so theres one reason. I bet others have mentioned this but maybe it bodes well for Ras-I's fitness.

I can tell you one thing... time to add a CB into your mock drafts hahah

No. it didn't save the Pats ANY money. And, had you actually read the thread, you'd know that it was a mutual decision. Bodden wanted to be starting on the outside, not playing in the slot. BB felt that Arrington was better on the outside and wanted Bodden in the slot or gone if he wasn't willing to play the slot.

 

[RJB87]

It will save the Patriots money if he signs with another team though. The advantage to cutting him after the trade deadline is that he must go through the waiver wire before he can hit free agency.

 

[Ring 6]

Remember when people thought Jim Caldwell was a good coach? Turns out we found out who the coach of that offense really was. Like wise, Brian Urlacher coaches that defense, not Lovie Smith.

So it was Urlacher who benched Meriwhether?
Come on man. You know as well as I do that the argument that a player is good even though he was benched because the coach is stupid, is as lame as it gets.
Essentially daBruinz is saying he knows more than Smith, who happened to win the NFCN and go to the NFCC game last year, and took a team with Rex freaking Grossman to the SB, simply because he wants to deny the facts.

 

[Ring 6]

No. it didn't save the Pats ANY money. And, had you actually read the thread, you'd know that it was a mutual decision. Bodden wanted to be starting on the outside, not playing in the slot. BB felt that Arrington was better on the outside and wanted Bodden in the slot or gone if he wasn't willing to play the slot.

Are you saying Bodden said he wants to start or be released and BB released him to make him happy instead of keeping his 3rd best corner on the roster?
Thats pretty negligent of him if you are right.

 

[RJB87]

They got Meriweather for pretty close to the vet minimum and they've drafted two safeties in the 3rd round the past two years. They probably just want to see what they've got.

 

[Deus Irae]

Remember when people thought Jim Caldwell was a good coach? Turns out we found out who the coach of that offense really was. Like wise, Brian Urlacher coaches that defense, not Lovie Smith.

Well, I'd say that the benchings in Chicago were more a case of something needing to be done, and the coaching staff just choosing the most visible area of struggle. It was not surprising that the safety play was poor, since the position had been in a complete shambles all season long, with injuries and constant lineup changes killing any chance at continuity.

What was interesting about the game that sparked the changes is that it was the D-line and linebackers who were truly awful that game. They were worse than the safeties. Meriweather wasn't playing well, and neither was Harris, but they wouldn't have been in position to have to try making those downfield tackles if the front seven had done its job in the first place.