Patriots Sign Bodden and Hodel

The Patriots made two more free agent acquisitions today, announcing the signings of corner back Leigh Bodden and long snapper Nathan Hodel.

Bodden, who visited Foxboro on March 1, played for the Detroit Lions last season. His one interception was the lone interception by a Lions defensive back in their tumultuous 0-16 campaign in 2008. Bodden spent the first five years of his career with the Cleveland Browns, under the tutelage of former Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel. Bodden comes from Crennel with high praise, and he enters a defense that was not much different than the defense that Crennel ran in Cleveland.

Bodden joins Shawn Springs as welcome additions to the Patriots' secondary, their obvious weak link on the defensive side of the ball. They now have depth at corner back, even though the NFL Draft is still over a month away.

Nathan Hodel comes into the long-snapper position that was empty following Lonie Paxton's departure to Denver. Hodel has spent his entire seven-year career with the Arizona Cardinals, including snapping for Neil Rackers' NFL-record 40 field goals in 2005.

Hodel seems like a sure thing, a reliable long-snapper who has done his job well for the better part of a decade. By signing Hodel, the Patriots have erased another need and are now starting to enter into the latter portions of free agency looking for luxuries as opposed to necessities.