Patriots’ Bodden out for the season
The New England Patriots just lost their best cornerback as Leigh Bodden was placed on injured reserve due to a shoulder injury. Bodden suffered a torn rotator cuff in the Patriots’ preseason game against the St. Louis Rams last week.
Bodden led the Patriots with five interceptions last year and also had 55 tackles and one forced fumble. The Patriots will miss his veteran presence as their defence is already a young unit. With Bodden out, first-round pick Devin McCourty will likely be inserted as a starter. Playing on the opposite end will be Darius Butler, the Pats’ second-round pick from last year’s draft.
The Patriots now have lost two important players on defence for the season. Defensive end Ty Warren is out for the season. Warren suffered a hip injury and his leadership will be missed as well. The Patriots will also be without offensive lineman Logan Mankins who is holding out until he’s offered a new contract. Mankins and his agent have said there has been no communication with the Patriots and he is likely to sit out the entire season.
Bodden provided stability at the cornerback spot last year. The Patriots re-signed him to a four-year deal worth $22 million this offseason.
"I'm bummed," Bodden said, but was optimistic he'd bounce back. "I've been hitting bumps my whole career and always seem to get past them. This will be no different."
Bodden joined the Patriots last year after five seasons with the Cleveland Browns and one season with the Detroit Lions. Bodden has 300 career tackles and 18 interceptions. He also has seven forced fumbles and has recovered seven.
There’s no telling how this loss will affect the Patriots. In a division where guys like Brandon Marshall and Santonio Holmes will have to be covered, the Patriots will have to turn to inexperienced corners to get the job done. This will now likely be a transition period for the now even younger defence.
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