FOXBOROUGH – Anytime you’re covering Randy Moss in practice, you’re bound to pick up a few things and sharpen your game at the same time.

Maybe that’s what the Patriots coaching staff had in mind when they had Leigh Bodden cover the all-world receiver this past week during OTAs outside Gillette Stadium.

“He’s long, he has long strides and he’s fast,” Bodden said with a subtle but noticeable grin. “He’ll get up the field in a hurry. You have to play him different ways sometimes so I can’t give away my secrets. He might be reading.”

This is hardly new for Bodden, who was responsible for covering Ocho Cinco (a.k.a Chad Johnson) twice a year when the Browns played the Bengals.

Now, after five years in Cleveland and last year spent in Detroit, playing for the 0-16 Lions, Bodden gets new life with the Patriots as he and Shawn Springs were brought in to help overhaul a secondary that gave up the most touchdowns through the air (27) of any team in the AFC. Only Arizona (36) allowed more last year.

“I don’t talk to Bill (Belichick) about anybody else,” Bodden said of the players no longer on the Pats roster. “I just try to do my job. It’s early. I’ve just been here about six or seven days practicing. I’m just trying to stay on top of my job, become a better player and help this team.”

Bodden had one of four interceptions for the Lions last year.

“It’s always a learning process,” Bodden said. “It’s definitely something I need to continue to work on but I have some familiar terms, as far as coming from Cleveland. So, I do know a little bit about the defense. But it’s just knowing what the coaches want me to do and how they want me to play things is what I need to work on and need to know from this coaching staff.”

While many were focused on the retirement of Rodney Harrison last week at the Patriots’ OTA outside Gillette Stadium, Bodden was just concentrating on doing his job.

“To tell you the truth, I haven’t even had a chance to talk to Rodney,” Bodden said. “I know he’s been in the league a long time and is a good player. I’m just focused on trying to learn my plays.”

That job will be stepping into the secondary as a cornerback, signed this offseason as part of a complete makeover of the team’s secondary.

In addition to Harrison, Ellis Hobbs was dealt away on the second day of the draft to the Philadelphia Eagles.

This past week, Bodden arrived in Foxborough, eager to learn just what it is he needs to do to satisfy Belichick and the rest of the Patriots coaching staff.

“I have to learn everything and stay focused on my job and that’s one of the things I’ve tried to do early on in this camp,” Bodden said.