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Bengal Deal Botched; Rogers goes to Browns Instead

Wow, if only Shaun Rogers changed directions this fast.

The deal between the Lions and the Cincinnati Bengals had for some reason, fell through and the team has struck a new deal with their in state rival Cleveland Browns for what looks to be a much better deal for Detroit, 26 year old corner Leigh Bodden and a 3rd round choice. The initial trade, Rogers for two 2008 draft picks (3rd & 5th), did not go through as either the Lions at the last minute got the better offer or some other deal-killing factors are involved.

Without now a Rogers-sized hole in the defensive line, the last defensive Pro Bowl selection for the Lions would be former defensive end Robert Porcher in 2002. Whether it is the draft or free agency, Detroit will need to address this issue but look to have shored up their secondary on the surface. With safety Dwight Smith signed, Kevin Smith re-signed, the Lions welcome a three starter in Bodden and is clearly an upgrade over the departed Fernando Bryant.

The time of this story by Lions writer Tom Kowalski is 1:11 am so this news is about as fresh as it gets. Whether or not they will still have Tampa Bay’s Brian Kelly and/or San Diego’s Drayton Florence in for visits is yet to be seen as both will command big contracts. This move by Detroit, no matter how it occurred, is much more beneficial than the Bengal deal made earlier in the day Friday.

This goes to show how the teams in the NFL go long into the night working the phones during this time in the off-season.

Fun, isn’t it?

This entry was posted on Saturday, March 1st, 2008 at 1:33 am and is filed under Cleveland Browns, Shaun Rogers, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Football, NFL. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.