Arguably that's a better situation for a RB to be in.People seem to think that a move to GB is going to boost Benson's numbers relative to Cincy. I see it the opposite way. Better to get 25 carries when the defense knows it's coming than 10-12 carries when they're honoring the pass.
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Cedric Benson = week 1 starter (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter prgromek
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EBF
Footballguy
I think he could carry the ball more than expected though.
Ryan Grant had 312 carries in 2008 and 282 carries in 2009. Why is Benson only going to get 12 carries per game?
Part of the reason the Packers haven't run the ball the last two years is because they haven't had a real starting caliber RB. Grant never really was, and injuries only diminished his already marginal talent.
But with Benson they have a first round talent with three straight 1000+ yard seasons to his name. Trading uniforms should work wonders for his production, as things will be infinitely easier with Green Bay's supporting cast. The only question for me is whether he can still bring his A game. Given that he averaged 3.9 YPC on a bad team last year and that's he's only 29 years old, I think he can probably still play at a high enough level to give Green Bay the featured RB they've been missing for years.
Ryan Grant had 312 carries in 2008 and 282 carries in 2009. Why is Benson only going to get 12 carries per game?
Part of the reason the Packers haven't run the ball the last two years is because they haven't had a real starting caliber RB. Grant never really was, and injuries only diminished his already marginal talent.
But with Benson they have a first round talent with three straight 1000+ yard seasons to his name. Trading uniforms should work wonders for his production, as things will be infinitely easier with Green Bay's supporting cast. The only question for me is whether he can still bring his A game. Given that he averaged 3.9 YPC on a bad team last year and that's he's only 29 years old, I think he can probably still play at a high enough level to give Green Bay the featured RB they've been missing for years.
Coeur de Lion
Footballguy
For everyone that sees Benson as anything more than a run of the mill backup level RB:
Why was he just hanging out available to anyone for months? Seems like he would have received more interest if he were really a decent startable RB...
Why was he just hanging out available to anyone for months? Seems like he would have received more interest if he were really a decent startable RB...
Benson is supposed to be a power runner that can tire out a defense.He's not the player he was supposed to be, but I can see green bay running the ball more late in games to save wear & Tear on their stud QB. He has that element to his game that Starks lacks. Given that Starks is injured this makes sense. I do see this degenerating into a committee once starks returns.Color me suprised about the number of people calling Benson rushing for 1k "crazy" or "impossible". He has done it on lesser teams with weaker passing games to keep opposing defenses honest AND against tougher divisional foes. Not only will I not be suprised if he gets to 1000 yards rushing, I will actually be suprised (barring injury or Alex Green turning into LT2) if he doesn't come close. I could fairly easily see a statline of 240 carries for 4.1 ypc for 984 - add a few more carries or a slightly better YPC vs. the softer fronts he should see and he's there.
In terms of RB3s with upside - the problem is you need something to happen (i.e. an injury to the guy in fornt of them). You need no such "luck" for Benson to produce. He is not sexy, but he is consistant. He kinda reminds me of Rudi Johnson - nothing too spectacular, just steady production.
As for what his value would be.... I'd suggest highly variable. Draft him as your RB3 and hope he puts up RB2 or RB1 numbers from time to time. That would be my advice.
Well said. So many folks seem to believe Benson's a big upgrade from what the Packers have had recently, and will lead the team to change their run/pass mix in a significant way, not to mention feature one back rather than another RBBC.I'm just not seeing it. Sounds like typical preseason hype and excessive optimism to me.Give me Alex Green in the 13th or 14th round.
I think it's a fallacy to think that teams with explosive passing games like the Packers operate this way. They tend to keep their foot on the gas in the 4th quarter. Running out the clock and tiring out the defense with a bruising RB isn't really in the gameplan.Now a team with MJD at RB and Blaine Gabbert at QB, different story.
EBF
Footballguy
He doesn't have to be a world beater to have value. He just has to be the best back on his team. If you haven't noticed, the Packers aren't exactly loaded at RB. Starks is pretty bad. Green is a former late third round pick less than a year removed from a serious knee injury. Saine is an undrafted nobody who has 69 career rushing yards. Benson is a former top 5 NFL draft pack coming off three straight 1000+ yard rushing seasons. If you're forced to pick from those four, who do you take? I'm definitely putting my money on Benson. I understand that he's a mediocre starting back, but I think what a lot of people don't realize is that merely being a mediocre starting back in the NFL is an incredibly difficult feat. There aren't many guys in the league who can hold down a starting spot for three years and handle 300+ carries every season.So while it's easy to disregard a boring veteran like Benson, I'd argue that he's the heavyweight in this backfield and the clear favorite to lead the ream in rushing. Given that he was a useful FF player on a vastly inferior offense, I don't think it's crazy to assume that he can be even better now that he's playing on arguably the top offense in the league. He seems like a pretty obvious value play to me. If you take a decent player and enhance his situation, shouldn't you expect his numbers to go up?Of course, Benson isn't guaranteed to get 250+ carries this season, but I don't see any of Green Bay's backs obviously having the talent to push him aside. And if Green Bay felt that guys like Starks, Green, and Saine were ready to be the guy, would they have signed Benson and named him the opening day starter?
Wadsworth
Footballguy
So justify the skill of the RB that has 3 straight seasons over 1,000 yards versus the other RBs on GB that gave never done anything?I do not think Benson is an amazing talent, but I do think he has proven a lot more than any other back on GB and is healthier.
unckeyherb
Footballguy
who knows? Its not the first time a decent option at a given position took time to find work-sometimes the pieces just aren't there..What I do know is that hes had 1150, 1300 and 1350 YFS over the last three years on teams that are not as offensively potent as this one.
sho nuff
Footballguy
I don't think many think they are going to change their run/pass mix in any significant way.And he is an upgrade from several standpoints.Grant and Starks were not guys to rely on late in a game to help run the clock out. Benson should be more of that kind of guy for them.Nobody is expecting huge numbers for a the guy...but he should be a more durable guy to grind out some games and that could have its value.
sho nuff
Footballguy
I don't think we are talking about a 7 point lead and trying to grind it out.Im talking when they are up more...and actually running the "4 minute" offense.
Coeur de Lion
Footballguy
Grant, Green, Saine, and Starks combined last year:
288 - 1217 - 3
Benson was fantasy relevant in Cincinatti based solely on volume. That volume just won't be there for him in GB. He's a liability in the passing game as both a blocker and a receiver, which will prevent him from being on the field enough to get the 80%+ of the RB carries that you guys have him down for. Starks, Green, and Saine are certainly nothing to get excited about, but I'm guessing they combine for more than 38 carries in 2011.
288 - 1217 - 3
Benson was fantasy relevant in Cincinatti based solely on volume. That volume just won't be there for him in GB. He's a liability in the passing game as both a blocker and a receiver, which will prevent him from being on the field enough to get the 80%+ of the RB carries that you guys have him down for. Starks, Green, and Saine are certainly nothing to get excited about, but I'm guessing they combine for more than 38 carries in 2011.
EBF
Footballguy
Yea, and between 2008-2009 Grant averaged almost 300 carries per season.
There's no law that Green Bay won't run the ball. They haven't had the horses to do so lately.
With Benson on the roster, I'd expect to see an increase in rushing attempts.
If he can get ~250 carries and average 4.0-4.5 YPC then he can be a great asset in FF leagues. Neither of those figures seems extremely far-fetched to me. And he should be the primary goal line back on a team that will score loads of TDs.
There's no law that Green Bay won't run the ball. They haven't had the horses to do so lately.
With Benson on the roster, I'd expect to see an increase in rushing attempts.
If he can get ~250 carries and average 4.0-4.5 YPC then he can be a great asset in FF leagues. Neither of those figures seems extremely far-fetched to me. And he should be the primary goal line back on a team that will score loads of TDs.
sho nuff
Footballguy
And Id guess that you will see more than 288 carries out of backs this season as well.
Papa Georgio
Footballguy
Also left out Kuhn who had 30 carries and 4 TD's.
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Papa Georgio
Footballguy
I don't think it's because he can't play but rather he is toward the end of his career and he probably had salary demands that many teams wouldn't be willing to accept. By not being signed early Benson lowered his asking price and he went to the exact kind of team you would expect, one with Super Bowl hopes that are in a win now mode.
Mash
Footballguy
Benson is guaranteed to get 215 carries and 850+ yards on the ground this year, and I could see him approach 20 receptions and 150 yards receiving. I think he will see many more TD opportunities in GB as they march down the field at will. Cinci was in the bottom half for total yards and total points last year. GB was #3 and #1 respectively.
So Benson had 1,100 total yards and 6 TDs last year in a below-average offense. I see him approaching the total yards with a good shot at increasing TDs. That makes him a nice Flex player or a borderline RB2. His ADP is 6.07, and he is a bargain at this position.
So Benson had 1,100 total yards and 6 TDs last year in a below-average offense. I see him approaching the total yards with a good shot at increasing TDs. That makes him a nice Flex player or a borderline RB2. His ADP is 6.07, and he is a bargain at this position.
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Rovers
Footballguy
How is Benson NOT an RB2 in a 12 team redraft? A late 2, sure, but if he isn't a RB2, which 24 RB's would you rank ahead of him right now? I'd strongly suggest a handcuff with Green in a later round if you draft him in the 7th or so, but I'm thrilled with getting Benson behind McFadden in a start 1 or 2 RB format. (Yes, I'd already drafted 3 WR's, not that you care, but mention it as part of a WR heavy aproach in a flex.)
I am not sure Kuhn will get those 4 short yardage plunge TD's, that might well go to Benson this year. The worst case scenario is Green and Benson split. However, that situational possibility exists on so many teams now, I start 1 RB and 4 WR's in every format I can now. So many teams have questions or some sort of uncertainty at RB now, it's like there are 12-15 RB1's, a handful of RB2's and then nothing but RB's who won't get 200 carries or carry serious risk. NE, NO, SF, KC, CHI, AZ, CAR (until Stewart got injured), WAS, all of these teams will or could have no RB with 200 carries, then there are others like MN and SD where RB1's may not be healthy enough to get through 2012.
Is Benson a better bet than a Shonn Greene? Maybe not, but ONLY because the Jets have real trash behind Greene. Still, would Greene get that many more touches? Or GL opportunities? I'll take the starting , even if time shared starting RB on a high powered offense every time over a bell cow on a bad offense.
I am not sure Kuhn will get those 4 short yardage plunge TD's, that might well go to Benson this year. The worst case scenario is Green and Benson split. However, that situational possibility exists on so many teams now, I start 1 RB and 4 WR's in every format I can now. So many teams have questions or some sort of uncertainty at RB now, it's like there are 12-15 RB1's, a handful of RB2's and then nothing but RB's who won't get 200 carries or carry serious risk. NE, NO, SF, KC, CHI, AZ, CAR (until Stewart got injured), WAS, all of these teams will or could have no RB with 200 carries, then there are others like MN and SD where RB1's may not be healthy enough to get through 2012.
Is Benson a better bet than a Shonn Greene? Maybe not, but ONLY because the Jets have real trash behind Greene. Still, would Greene get that many more touches? Or GL opportunities? I'll take the starting , even if time shared starting RB on a high powered offense every time over a bell cow on a bad offense.
