Leigh Bodden, Former Browns Starter, Not Good Enough to Crack Lions' Lineup

There were some Browns fans who claimed that Leigh Bodden had lost a step since he sorta came out of nowhere to become "the best cornerback you never heard of" a few years ago. Turns out they were onto something.

After Cleveland sent him to Detroit in the Shaun Rogers trade, I was convinced that their secondary would take a hit. Whether that happens remains to be seen -- mounting injuries certainly aren't helping -- but if it does, it won't have anything to do with Bodden's departure. You see, he's currently a backup with the Lions. Depressing, I know.

The former Browns cornerback, who was included in the trade for Shaun Rogers on March 1, is listed as a backup on the Lions' depth chart. The starters are Brian Kelly and Travis Fisher, though Bodden has worked with the first team on occasion.

To his credit, he's not bellyaching about his plight, although maybe he's still in shock at the thought of not being good enough to crack the starting lineup in Detroit:

"I'm not complaining," Bodden said in a phone interview. "It's been a good camp. I've been picking up the defensive system. Guys are treating me good."

That's a good point -- he is learning a new system -- but, really, the Lions didn't trade for a starting-caliber cornerback to just play him in nickel packages. The thing is, whatever the state of Bodden's game, the Browns would probably love to still have him.