Patriots Sign Bodden to 1-Year Deal

Cross another one off the list, Leigh Bodden, who ranked #1 on the Alldayfootball.com's List of Forgotten Names, has been signed to a one-year deal with the New England Patriots, financial terms of the deal were not immediately available.

He joins, C Matt Birk, S Sean Jones and CB Jabari Greer as players on the list who have signed with new teams since the list was posted. DT Tank Johnson and LB Angelo Crowell remain unsigned.

Bodden, 27, was arguably the best cover man still available in free agency, according to most pro scouts. He was released by the Detroit Lions after one dissapointing season with the team where he was playing in an unflattering scheme for his skill set.

The six-year veteran is a versatile defender, who can play man-to-man coverage, off-man, but struggled in Detroit's Tampa-2 zone scheme. He is a physical, aggressive cornerback, who can redirect receivers. At one point, earlier in his career, Bodden was regarded as one of the fastest players in the league.

Bodden has played in 75 career games and started 53 of them. In those games he has notched 299 tackles, 13 interceptions, and 52 passes defensed. He joined the Lions last spring as part of a trade that sent defensive tackle Shaun Rogers to the Browns. The Lions quickly signed him to a four-year, $27 million contract.