Cedric Benson or Thomas Jones? (1 Viewer)

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

If it is above 3rd and 5=TJ comes in...Why?  Because he excells at draws and is probably a better receiving threat.

But below that Benson will be in their and I don't expect too many 3rd and longs on a run oriented team, with Benson getting 5 yards a carry.

probably a better receiving threat?5 yards a carry?

With TJ's 26 catches last year...defenses must be scared

2004 down?
                +--------------------------+-------------------------+                 |          Rushing         |        Receiving        |+----------+-----+--------------------------+-------------------------+| Year  TM |   G |   Att  Yards    Y/A   TD |   Rec  Yards   Y/R   TD |+----------+-----+--------------------------+-------------------------+| 2000 ari |  14 |   112    373    3.3    2 |    32    208   6.5    0 || 2001 ari |  16 |   112    380    3.4    5 |    21    151   7.2    0 || 2002 ari |   9 |   138    511    3.7    2 |    20    113   5.7    0 || 2003 tam |  16 |   137    627    4.6    3 |    24    180   7.5    0 || 2004 chi |  14 |   240    948    4.0    7 |    56    427   7.6    0 || 2005 chi |  15 |   314   1335    4.3    9 |    26    143   5.5    0 |+----------+-----+--------------------------+-------------------------+|  TOTAL   |  84 |  1053   4174    4.0   28 |   179   1222   6.8    0 |+----------+-----+--------------------------+-------------------------+

Who was the OC in 2004 for the Bears?....give up because you probably didn't know...Terry Shea....TJ had 56 receptionsWho was the OC in 2005 for the Bears?.....Ron Turner and TJ had 26 receptions

Most importantly...Ron Turner is the OC in 2006 and that means that last season is more of a showing of the #'s TJ's AMAZING HANDS will produce.

Game over!!!!

do you even know what you're arguing for anymore? How does that have anything to do with who the better receiving threat is?

Here I will spell it out for you....RB's do not catch the ball a lot in Ron Turner's Offense....but they did in Terry Shea's offense....therefore hands are not as relivant as lets say running up the middle in a smash mouth offensive scheme like Chicago's and not an outside run scheme like TJ would excell in.

 

[ILUVBEER99]

I think Benson is a far better fit for the grind it out offense the Bears look to run.

If TJ doesn't get traded he'll make a fine change of pace/3rd down back for this coming season, but Benson will likely get the majority of the carries.

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

do you even know what you're arguing for anymore?

This is my first post in this thread, and I've sort of been wondering that throughout this thread. Benson_will_lead_the_way continues to argue as though lobbying enough for Benson to win this poll will somehow cause Benson to start. If the question was "Who should win the Chicago Bears starting RB job?" I could swallow a lot more of these posts. But we're not the coach, and the question was "Who will win the Chicago Bears starting RB job?" Convincing FBG message boarders to share an opinion that Benson is superior to Jones doesn't mean squat.Actually I believe I have convinced many(see the results of the poll)

Lovie Smith won't be looking at anybody's stats for years with the Cardinals or Bucs or the University of Texas. He won't be making statistical comparisons with Anthony Thomas. He won't be poring over some ESPN statistitian's eight different YPCs broken down by type of play. He won't be thinking about how much money each guy makes, or what pick each was drafted, and he's cetainly not going to get a call from Jerry Angelo telling him which player he has to start. (By the way, Jones was the 7th overall pick the year he came out, not much different than Benson's 4th. People seem to forget that.) And, the Bears won't be trading or benching their best offensive player from last year after a division winning 11-5 season. Please put all the stats back in your pockets.

You're absolutely right...why would HC or GM's look at a players stats in previous seasons....that is rediculous! They show nothing for what the future might hold.

People also seem to forget that TJ already proved he was a bust with two teams and is going to be 28....getting old for a RB

I believe their defense had a lot more to do with that record than the RB...who helped them score 13 points per game(or however pitiful the number was)

Lovie Smith is going to utilize his team's players in whatever way he believes will help his team win football games. It's really pretty simple. Why is that so difficult for some people to accept? Lovie Smith doesn't care who is on anybody's fantasy team, and wishing really really hard for one player or the other means nothing. What Smith does care about is continuing the success the Bears had last year, and Jones was instrumental to that success. Lovie has already said they will divide time to some degree, that Benson will have a larger role. I have no reason to disbelieve that. He also could have said Jones has lost his starting job after staying away from voluntary workouts, but he didn't say that. He is being smart politically and is straddling the fence to motivate both players, but he knows what Jones means to the continuity of this team's offense and when the dust settles he's not going to fix what ain't broke.

As I stated in a previous post...he did bench Kyle Orton and start Rex Grossman even though it wasn't broke(the team was winning)

I don't believe I have mentioned anything fantasy wise and I have agreed that TJ can be helpful in his "role" on this team and any coach utilizes all of the teams talents to the best of thier ability. THANK YOU CAPTAIN OBVIOUS.

I think Jason Wood said it well in the Thomas Jones face-off: "The most likely scenario is that Jones returns to Chicago and reclaims his spot atop the depth chart. On a conservative team with a Super Bowl caliber defense and newfound depth at QB, there’s no incentive to toss aside the lynchpin of the ball-control offense. Jones has finally found a home where his performance matches his long-unrealized potential. Neither side is stupid enough to throw that away; nor should fantasy owners."

My favorite part about this last paragraph is where he says "Jones has finally found a home"....it only took more than half of his pro career. He is a talent...yes...but will have a limited role this season...if he accepts that...then he can succeed...but so far it appears that he hasn't...aka missing volunatary workouts

 

[Klecko HOF]

You mentioned earlier that Benson should start.

Why?

What has Benson done to unseat Jones?

I'm all for the best back starting, especially if Benson were that back and he beat out Jones, but Benson has done nothing to prove to me, that he is a better back than Thomas Jones.

Is Benson physically gifted? Yes.

Does he come form a big time college program and played big in big games? Yes.

Has benson proven that he is a bietter back on the NFL level? Hell no.

The point that people here are trying to make is that while Benson has the tools to succeed, and might be better equipped to take our Monsters of The Miway to the next level, Benson has done nothing to prove that he can, nor has he done anything to unseat Thomas Jones, a man who has carried this offense on his back.

What benson has in his favor is high draft status, and a big contract. He's also aided by Jones' "holdout", but if he is awarded the starting nod, it would have more to do with him showing up for practice, and Jerry Angelo's wish to prove he made the correct pick, than anything else at this point.

I hope Benson proves to be a great player, but as of right now, Thomas Jones is the man in my book, until Benson proves he can stay healthy and knock Jones off.

Not sure how Jones is the man, seeing as they drafted Benson to replace him. Did Palmer prove he should start over Kitna?

Did Rivers prove he should start over Brees?

Did Caddy prove he should start over Pittman?

Did McGahee prove he should start over Henry?

If those guys weren't 1st round picks, I'd wager none of them would have started the year that they did. In todays NFL, a big salary dictates you must play, or you must be cut. You simply can't afford to pay backups 4-5-6 million a year, when other teams are paying backups 500k.

So Bensons draft slot, his salary, dictates that Benson will be pressed into action. He will get more carries, more work, then a 5th round RB with the same name would. They are forced to find out what they have, what he can do, merely because of his salary.

It happens ALL the time. And how do we know this? We're talking about it. If Benson was a 4th round pick making 400k a year, it would NOT be a question who the starter is. There would be no threads about it. Why would the Bengals switch QBs when they were on the cusp of the playoffs? Set the team back a year? Because Palmer was making a TON of money.

Has nothing to do with proving anything.

You're not sure how Jones is the man, especially since Chicago drafted Benson to replace him?For one, Jones is the man, since he ran for 1300+ yards, while facing 8 man fronts and proving in the process that he can be the foacl point of an offense AND be durable.

Benson showed up to camp in bad shape and was an injured for 5+ games. Benson showed terrible judgement and a lack of focus. Again, Benson has done nothing to prove he should start, other than get drafted high.

Here's the other issue. Benson was drafted to replace Jones, and then held out, missed camp and showed up in poor shape. Jones not only held him off, but had a Pro Bowl type performance WHILE Benson languished on the bench injured.

The Michael Pittman argument is a joke. Who are you trying to convince with that? Caddy was definetly the more talented runner, with Pittman having shown little to merit being a starter. Jones is coming off a Pro Bowl type season.

McGahee replaced Henry after the latter suffered an injury and proved to be ineffective. The move was to make a spark, since Buffalo's offense was anemic. Jones did nothing but ignite the Bears woeful attack and kept them afloat.

See, most running backs tend to lose their jobs due to injury or ineffectiveness. Jones has done neither.

All I'm saying is, that although Benson will most likely forced into action, due to his high draft selection and salary, Jones is the better back right now and has done nothing to deserve losing his starting spot.

The Bears are making a bad decision if they automatically reward this guy the starting nod without having earned it on the field. I'm all for the best player hitting the field, but Benson is winning by default.

 

[joffer]

Here I will spell it out for you....RB's do not catch the ball a lot in Ron Turner's Offense....but they did in Terry Shea's offense....therefore hands are not as relivant as lets say running up the middle in a smash mouth offensive scheme like Chicago's and not an outside run scheme like TJ would excell in.

so Jones is the better receiver, but now apparently that doesn't matter. this gets better and better.....

 

[nygiants56]

I remember LJ being a malcontent or a 'nobody' in his first two seasons in KC, much like Benson was last year..

we might be a year away from Benson being the top RB in Chicago; TJ played well last year and deserves another shot to hold down the #1 RB spot again, but the writing is clearly on the wall, that Benson is being thought of as the teams franchise back and 2007 and beyond..

I would think Benson will start out slowly in '06, and eventually take over the lead role by midseason, as the coaching staff finds new ways to get him involved..plus, I don't count on TJ ever making it a full 16-game season without missing at least a few games due to injury.and that could be all the leverage Benson needs to steal the spot..

it might sound crazy, but Houston is quickly becoming a team which could be in need of a starting RB soon. With the chronic ( at least it appears that way) knee problems with DD and the plantar fascitis ( sp?) Morency is suffering thru, I'm not sure their 100% comfortable heading into the 2006 season with Antowain Smith as their starting RB..a trade for TJ might make perfect sense for them. a RB with great hands, a tough inside runner, he'd be perfect for Kubiak's style of offense..

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

Here I will spell it out for you....RB's do not catch the ball a lot in Ron Turner's Offense....but they did in Terry Shea's offense....therefore hands are not as relivant as lets say running up the middle in a smash mouth offensive scheme like Chicago's and not an outside run scheme like TJ would excell in.

so Jones is the better receiver, but now apparently that doesn't matter. this gets better and better.....

Jones is "probably" we don't know until Benson starts catching some passes...but it is not as big of a factor in this offense....no....its not like Tomlinson or Marshall Faulk catching 80 passes. I don't want to start a guy that gets hurt every year and is 28 just because he can catch 40 passes a year and maybe a better receiver than a better RUNNING back....thier most important job is to run the pigskin....now if you want to make a case about pass protecting...then you have a point.

 

[rascal]

Any updates on who the starter will be?

With their schedule and defense whoever it is will be golden.

 

[RBM]

Any updates on who the starter will be?

With their schedule and defense whoever it is will be golden.

Nothing has happened since this thread startedAbout two-three more weeks of patience

 

[Couch Potato]

Any updates on who the starter will be?

With their schedule and defense whoever it is will be golden.

Nothing has happened since this thread startedAbout two-three more weeks of patience

You must have missed this then - Bears | Cedric Benson's Offseason

Wed, 19 Jul 2006 07:58:36 -0700

Couch Potato, of MakingUpNonsense.com, in an exclusive interview with Cedric Benson, reports the Chicago Bears RB has kept busy this offseason by joining Al Qaeda, becoming a heavy metal band groupie, and flashing old ladies sitting on park benches. He also said he likes to eat puppies and kittens and baby chicks that wander too close, and that he hates little children, apple pie, the flag, and the 4th of July. At the end of the interview, when asked if he thought he'd be the team's starting RB this year, he simply replied "Dude, who the #&?% cares? I got my bank last year. Five year contract. I ain't gotta start trying again til I'm in the last year of my deal. Now get out."

 

[s_ezy]

 

[MLBrandow]

Any updates on who the starter will be?

With their schedule and defense whoever it is will be golden.

Remember the tantrum Jones threw out of the blue this offseason where he was demanding a trade?That was because he found out Benson is the unquestioned starter.

I'm still unsure why this is a heated debate.

It's shut and close.

Draft Benson.

 

[Couch Potato]

That was because he found out Benson is the unquestioned starter.

I'm still unsure why this is a heated debate.

It's shut and close.

That's pretty clueless I'm afraid.Jones is unhappy with the amount he's being paid, given the season he had last year. The statement "because he found out Benson is the unquestioned starter" is made up speculative nonsense on your part.

 

[imeimex]

Any updates on who the starter will be?

With their schedule and defense whoever it is will be golden.

Remember the tantrum Jones threw out of the blue this offseason where he was demanding a trade?That was because he found out Benson is the unquestioned starter.

I'm still unsure why this is a heated debate.

It's shut and close.

Draft Benson.

In every thread I have seen you in, which is pretty much every thread, you come in and say that your opinion is an open and shut case. While I agree with you on a lot of your opinions, they are just that opinions and not facts. This would not be a three page thread if it was as "shut and close" as you say it is. But maybe you have a time capsule and have already watched the entire 2006 season?In my opinion Jones missing mini-camp could have been about money, just as well as it could have been about Benson taking time, but that is because he wants to be appreciated for the role he has played the last two years in this offense.

 

[imeimex]

Oh and by the way, I missed this originally

do you even know what you're arguing for anymore?

This is my first post in this thread, and I've sort of been wondering that throughout this thread. Benson_will_lead_the_way continues to argue as though lobbying enough for Benson to win this poll will somehow cause Benson to start. If the question was "Who should win the Chicago Bears starting RB job?" I could swallow a lot more of these posts. But we're not the coach, and the question was "Who will win the Chicago Bears starting RB job?" Convincing FBG message boarders to share an opinion that Benson is superior to Jones doesn't mean squat.Lovie Smith won't be looking at anybody's stats for years with the Cardinals or Bucs or the University of Texas. He won't be making statistical comparisons with Anthony Thomas. He won't be poring over some ESPN statistitian's eight different YPCs broken down by type of play. He won't be thinking about how much money each guy makes, or what pick each was drafted, and he's cetainly not going to get a call from Jerry Angelo telling him which player he has to start. (By the way, Jones was the 7th overall pick the year he came out, not much different than Benson's 4th. People seem to forget that.) And, the Bears won't be trading or benching their best offensive player from last year after a division winning 11-5 season. Please put all the stats back in your pockets.

Lovie Smith is going to utilize his team's players in whatever way he believes will help his team win football games. It's really pretty simple. Why is that so difficult for some people to accept? Lovie Smith doesn't care who is on anybody's fantasy team, and wishing really really hard for one player or the other means nothing. What Smith does care about is continuing the success the Bears had last year, and Jones was instrumental to that success. Lovie has already said they will divide time to some degree, that Benson will have a larger role. I have no reason to disbelieve that. He also could have said Jones has lost his starting job after staying away from voluntary workouts, but he didn't say that. He is being smart politically and is straddling the fence to motivate both players, but he knows what Jones means to the continuity of this team's offense and when the dust settles he's not going to fix what ain't broke.

I think Jason Wood said it well in the Thomas Jones face-off: "The most likely scenario is that Jones returns to Chicago and reclaims his spot atop the depth chart. On a conservative team with a Super Bowl caliber defense and newfound depth at QB, there’s no incentive to toss aside the lynchpin of the ball-control offense. Jones has finally found a home where his performance matches his long-unrealized potential. Neither side is stupid enough to throw that away; nor should fantasy owners."

 

[Bears_Man2]

Any updates on who the starter will be?

With their schedule and defense whoever it is will be golden.

That was because he found out Benson is the unquestioned starter.

Link?Please don't make up BS. This thread doesn't need to get littered with any more nonsense than it already has in it.

Heck, I hope Benson wins the job and runs with it. There's no reason to blame Jones for wanting a new deal. I think he's making less than Chester Taylor (who's done nothing in the league yet).

 

[imeimex]

Any updates on who the starter will be?

With their schedule and defense whoever it is will be golden.

That was because he found out Benson is the unquestioned starter.

Link?Please don't make up BS. This thread doesn't need to get littered with any more nonsense than it already has in it.

Heck, I hope Benson wins the job and runs with it. There's no reason to blame Jones for wanting a new deal. I think he's making less than Chester Taylor (who's done nothing in the league yet).

I agree with you completely, although I am amazed this is such a heated topic on Bears message boards as well. Clearly Benson will get a chance at some point, if for nothing less to justify his money and early draft pick. This is not to say that the Bears will be a better team if they write off Thomas Jones this year. It is clear that most successful teams will use their best players in the situations that will allow them to succeed. With Benson's size he should work well in the Bears scheme, but that does not mean we need to get rid of our offensive MVP for the last 2 years. It is a good situation to be in to have 3 running backs that are capable. Please stop proclaiming that you know for a fact that the Bears will be better off with Benson and without Jones, as hopefully Lovie and Turner will put them in the best situation for the Bears to succeed. Afterall that is what it is all about, the Bears succeeding and not neccessarily a certain individual putting up fantasy numbers.

 

[MLBrandow]

Link?

Please don't make up BS. This thread doesn't need to get littered with any more nonsense than it already has in it.

Heck, I hope Benson wins the job and runs with it. There's no reason to blame Jones for wanting a new deal. I think he's making less than Chester Taylor (who's done nothing in the league yet).

You really think that if Jones thought he'd be the starter he would have thrown such a temper tantrum?

 

[imeimex]

Link?

Please don't make up BS. This thread doesn't need to get littered with any more nonsense than it already has in it.

Heck, I hope Benson wins the job and runs with it. There's no reason to blame Jones for wanting a new deal. I think he's making less than Chester Taylor (who's done nothing in the league yet).

You really think that if Jones thought he'd be the starter he would have thrown such a temper tantrum?

If he didn't think he would be the starter than he would not have much of a standing ground to request a new contract. I think he knows he has been underpaid the last couple of years, and he finally wants to get his.

 

[Bears_Man2]

Link?

Please don't make up BS. This thread doesn't need to get littered with any more nonsense than it already has in it.

Heck, I hope Benson wins the job and runs with it. There's no reason to blame Jones for wanting a new deal. I think he's making less than Chester Taylor (who's done nothing in the league yet).

You really think that if Jones thought he'd be the starter he would have thrown such a temper tantrum?

Where are you getting this temper tantrum info from? The same spot where it's being reported Benson was named the unquestioned starter?Lance Briggs wants a new contract. Nathan Vasher wants a new contract. Both Pro Bowlers. You calling that a temper tamtrum? Any time a player wants a new contract is it a temper tamtrum? Here is the only fact you need to know (or is relevant right now): Thomas Jones (and Briggs) showed up to the only mandatory camp this offseason.

He wants a new contract because he deserves a new deal. If the Bears could pay him, they would. But it isn't realistic when 1) Briggs, with no suitable LB behind him, wants a new big $$ contract; 2) Nathan Vasher, coming off a Pro Bowl season, making only $900,000 is already wanting a new deal. Can't blame him given they just gave Ricky Manning $9 million to be their nickel corner; 3) They've paid Benson a boatload already.

Will Jones get a new contract? IMO No (I've been expressing my opinion as such this entire offseason in previous Jones/Benson topics). Do I believe the Bears would take Jones over Benson, all things being equal?? Without question. This is very reminiscent to Brees vs. Rivers. All things being equal, both franchises would have preferred to keep the proven veteran. But the investments will eventually win out.

Here's a question for you: Would you want to make far less money than someone that's proven nothing? I'm not talking just football. I'm talking in any occupation.

 

[imeimex]

Link?

Please don't make up BS. This thread doesn't need to get littered with any more nonsense than it already has in it.

Heck, I hope Benson wins the job and runs with it. There's no reason to blame Jones for wanting a new deal. I think he's making less than Chester Taylor (who's done nothing in the league yet).

You really think that if Jones thought he'd be the starter he would have thrown such a temper tantrum?

Where are you getting this temper tantrum info from? The same spot where it's being reported Benson was named the unquestioned starter?Lance Briggs wants a new contract. Nathan Vasher wants a new contract. Both Pro Bowlers. You calling that a temper tamtrum? Any time a player wants a new contract is it a temper tamtrum? Here is the only fact you need to know (or is relevant right now): Thomas Jones (and Briggs) showed up to the only mandatory camp this offseason.

He wants a new contract because he deserves a new deal. If the Bears could pay him, they would. But it isn't realistic when 1) Briggs, with no suitable LB behind him, wants a new big $$ contract; 2) Nathan Vasher, coming off a Pro Bowl season, making only $900,000 is already wanting a new deal. Can't blame him given they just gave Ricky Manning $9 million to be their nickel corner; 3) They've paid Benson a boatload already.

Will Jones get a new contract? IMO No (I've been expressing my opinion as such this entire offseason in previous Jones/Benson topics). Do I believe the Bears would take Jones over Benson, all things being equal?? Without question. This is very reminiscent to Brees vs. Rivers. All things being equal, both franchises would have preferred to keep the proven veteran. But the investments will eventually win out.

Here's a question for you: Would you want to make far less money than someone that's proven nothing? I'm not talking just football. I'm talking in any occupation.

Good Work, End Of Discussion. In my opinion there will be no new contract for Jones, Jones will not get traded and the most productive player will play.

 

[LawFitz]

I haven't checked in on this thread in a while. This is too funny.

TJ continues to get little to no respect from the FBGs. While I luv this site for its tremendous wealth of insight and info, I am no longer in awe of the opinions.

Jones is a dam good RB and will drop again in the draft thx to this hype. I'll take him in Rd 8 and laugh when either a) he beats out Benson again and gets most of the touches on the Bears or b) is traded to a team that will appreciate and utilize him as the stud that he is.

Keep hating tho, since otherwise, I'd be lucky to get him in Rd 2.

 

[MLBrandow]

I haven't checked in on this thread in a while.  This is too funny.

TJ continues to get little to no respect from the FBGs.  While I luv this site for its tremendous wealth of insight and info, I am no longer in awe of the opinions.

Jones is a dam good RB and will drop again in the draft thx to this hype.  I'll take him in Rd 8 and laugh when either a) he beats out Benson again and gets most of the touches on the Bears or b) is traded to a team that will appreciate and utilize him as the stud that he is.

Keep hating tho, since otherwise, I'd be lucky to get him in Rd 2.

The only NFL player I sympathize more with about being unlucky than TJ is Takeo Spikes.Jones could start over half the RBs in the league. He won't start over Benson though.

Bet money on that.

Where are you getting this temper tantrum info from? The same spot where it's being reported Benson was named the unquestioned starter?

Do I believe the Bears would take Jones over Benson, all things being equal?? Without question. This is very reminiscent to Brees vs. Rivers. All things being equal, both franchises would have preferred to keep the proven veteran. But the investments will eventually win out.

You're the "Bears Man", so how can you not understand this simple situation? You seem to have hit the key points here. Jones will play a disgruntled year as a third down back/insurance policy to ensure that Benson is every bit they are expecting, then he will be released/traded/etc.The new CHI offense will feature a smashmouth, not perimeter, attack. Jones is an outside runner. Benson is an inside runner. Both have good hands. Benson is a much better pass blocker. Benson was picked #4 overall because they liked Thomas Jones so much.

I'll bet you a sig Benson starts over TJ and not only that but tops TJ's 2005 numbers as well.

 

[parasaurolophus]

I haven't checked in on this thread in a while. This is too funny.

TJ continues to get little to no respect from the FBGs. While I luv this site for its tremendous wealth of insight and info, I am no longer in awe of the opinions.

Jones is a dam good RB and will drop again in the draft thx to this hype. I'll take him in Rd 8 and laugh when either a) he beats out Benson again and gets most of the touches on the Bears or b) is traded to a team that will appreciate and utilize him as the stud that he is.

Keep hating tho, since otherwise, I'd be lucky to get him in Rd 2.

lets not forget guys that we are talking about a guy who had the best season of his life and that was good enough to barely squeeze into the top 10 for running backs. the year before he just made the top 20. hardly a stud, and throw in the fact that he has a first rdr chomping at his heels, how can you really like this guy? If i HAD to take one of them, i would take benson. We know TJ at his absolute best is barely a top ten rusher. We have no idea what benson could be.

 

[LawFitz]

lets not forget guys that we are talking about a guy who had the best season of his life and that was good enough to barely squeeze into the top 10 for running backs. the year before he just made the top 20. hardly a stud, and throw in the fact that he has a first rdr chomping at his heels, how can you really like this guy? If i HAD to take one of them, i would take benson.

We know TJ at his absolute best is barely a top ten rusher. We have no idea what benson could be.

A top ten rusher on an otherwise HORRIBLE offense. When they had a semblance of a passing game (pre-Grossman injury 2004) Jones was a top 5 fantasy back and the leagues leading rusher.Since that time, the Bears' passing game has been an absolute joke. All Jones has seen has be stacked boxes and yet has still put up solid numbers.

Put Jones on the Broncos, Chiefs, Seahawks, Giants, Cowboys, Steelers, Pats, Falcons, Bungles, Panthers, Colts, Chargers, Jags, Skins... pretty much anyone but the Bears and he would've been an uber-stud in recent years.

The guy is a STUD playing for a very bad offense. It's sad how little respect he gets. It's already been pointed out before, but I'll mention it again... he was the #7 overall pick coming out of college for a reason, but everyone seems to forget that b/c of his lost years in AZ.

 

[MelvinTScupper]

keep it up girls, you might get lucky and TJones will break his leg.

Otherwise, Benson was burned by "put up or shut up"

 

[TwinTurbo]

I have never really liked C.Benson. I didn't like him at Texas and I don't like him now in Chicago. He's a grinder but he's not an elite RB. Thomas Jones is also not an elite RB, but he is more talented than Benson.

I think the Bears made a mistake by drafting Benson so highly. I don't think he will ever amount to anything more than an average NFL RB. And at this point, TJ is an above average RB. So I hope he gets a fair shot to keep the job, instead of just giving it to Benson.

 

[joffer]

I have never really liked C.Benson. I didn't like him at Texas and I don't like him now in Chicago. He's a grinder but he's not an elite RB. Thomas Jones is also not an elite RB, but he is more talented than Benson.

I think the Bears made a mistake by drafting Benson so highly. I don't think he will ever amount to anything more than an average NFL RB. And at this point, TJ is an above average RB. So I hope he gets a fair shot to keep the job, instead of just giving it to Benson.

sums up my feelings perfectly

 

[Rounders]

I think the key is not focusing on who the starter will be, but rather how many carries both players will get per game.

The Bears feel that they have a team that is capable of winning the Super Bowl (don't laugh). They think that they have a great defense, a really good running game, and a decent passing game. With that in mind, they are not going to put an unknown RB out there.

It's my belief we are truly looking at a RBBC, with Jones getting 60% of the work, Benson 30% and Peterson 10%. Notice I said work, not carries.

If Jones, stumbles Benson is there to pick up the slack. I think the Bears have a great "problem" to have, they have 3 RB that they are confident in. It will create a great competition in training camp, and between Jones & Benson, whoever performs the best in training camp will start on opening day.....the real question is who will be in the game as it progresses from there.

So for all of those people trying to pick one starter, I would say forget it, because the Bears will be a RBBC team in 2006.

 

[RBM]

The Bears feel that they have a team that is capable of winning the Super Bowl (don't laugh). They think that they have a great defense, a really good running game

Dont laugh?And "they think"?

First off, its nothing to laugh at

Second off, they dont think, they know they have the best D in football and an awesome running game

 

[Rounders]

RBM, you and I are Bears fans and know what we have. A team that has a good chance to make a run in the playoffs and a shot at the Super Bowl.

My comment was directed at those people who think the Bears are overrated.

Watch and see boys.