Rumor: Bears might be open to trading Benson? (1 Viewer)

[JohnnyU]

This news came out 3 days ago, so I'm not sure if it's been discussed. If so, I still think it deserves a thread of it's own, even with all the TJ vs Benson threads. Let's not turn this one into a TJ vs Benson thread, but instead let's discuss the possibility that Benson gets traded.

Bill Williamson of the Denver Post reports the Bears might be open to trading Cedric Benson after the season and the Broncos have interest. Benson's base salaries are cheap and the cap hit to get rid of him is huge. He has played well at times but his overall performance since his rookie season wouldn't merit anything more than a late second-round pick at best. This rumor is a little wild.Source: Denver Post

 

[Banger]

This news came out 3 days ago, so I'm not sure if it's been discussed. If so, I still think it deserves a thread of it's own, even with all the TJ vs Benson threads. Let's not turn this one into a TJ vs Benson thread, but instead let's discuss the possibility that Benson gets traded.

Bill Williamson of the Denver Post reports the Bears might be open to trading Cedric Benson after the season and the Broncos have interest. Benson's base salaries are cheap and the cap hit to get rid of him is huge. He has played well at times but his overall performance since his rookie season wouldn't merit anything more than a late second-round pick at best. This rumor is a little wild.Source: Denver Post

That's one reason why it definitely won't happen....Think about it, it's cheap to keep him, at worst he's good insurance but if you want to trade him you have to take a huge cap hit. Makes no sense.

 

[Mike]

Sometimes teams should look to cut their losses if the opportunity arises. If the Bears feel Benson is a head case who won't help their team in the long run, they shouldn't hold him because they need to get a 1st round pick back in return. Trade him for a 2nd, which isn't bad, before the value declines further.

 

[PsychoMan]

I haven't heard anything about this ... I would also be disappointed if it happened. I like what I've seen out of Benson.

 

[gman8343]

Benson's starting to look pretty good. I doubt they'll trade him, though I guess anything is possible, and Chicago is stacked at RB with TJ/Benson/AP, they could stand to trade one of them and Benson would bring the highest price.

 

[Banger]

Sometimes teams should look to cut their losses if the opportunity arises. If the Bears feel Benson is a head case who won't help their team in the long run, they shouldn't hold him because they need to get a 1st round pick back in return. Trade him for a 2nd, which isn't bad, before the value declines further.

what has he shown that makes people think he can get a 2nd round pick? He's got 700+ yards in 2 years and a 3.9 ypc with 1/2 dozen TD's. Teams aren't going to overpay just because the Bears took him at the top of the 1st. Why wouldn't a team just use their 2nd round pick on a RB, lock that player up cheaper than they'd have to pay Benson and for a longer term?

 

[faulkfan]

Showcase him for two weeks against two poor defenses in the Packers and Lions and then see what happens to his value. Rest TJ for the playoffs and find out what you have in your 4th overall pick...then make a decision.

I can't imagine the advantage to trading him if he is cheap to keep, and why would Shanny want to add one more RB to his ever widening commitee when he can just draft one in the 9th round and make him a 1000 yrd rusher...oh wait, those days are gone.

I just don't see it happening, but I hope it does so I can get some trade value for Bensen in my keeper league in the off season.

 

[Banger]

Consider the rb's that were taken in the 2nd round this year...Lendale White and Jones Drew.

Drew>>>Benson and White=Benson (comparing their 1st years). This "trade" will never happen at least for a 2nd. If it's for less than a 2nd why would the Bears do it?

 

[Colin Dowling]

Sometimes teams should look to cut their losses if the opportunity arises. If the Bears feel Benson is a head case who won't help their team in the long run, they shouldn't hold him because they need to get a 1st round pick back in return. Trade him for a 2nd, which isn't bad, before the value declines further.

what has he shown that makes people think he can get a 2nd round pick? He's got 700+ yards in 2 years and a 3.9 ypc with 1/2 dozen TD's. Teams aren't going to overpay just because the Bears took him at the top of the 1st. Why wouldn't a team just use their 2nd round pick on a RB, lock that player up cheaper than they'd have to pay Benson and for a longer term?

I don't agree with this. Benson has gotten better as the season has progressed. Actually, he's gotten better as his role has been increased. He's doing a nice job backing up Jones and I think even Benson's biggest detractors would admit the Bears run to the Super Bowl is going to rely on defense and plenty of ground game, of which Benson will need to be a huge part.

 

[mbuehner]

There are a lot of reasons this wont happen. But the biggest one is that trading Benson would be more expensive than keeping him, and he isnt such a pain in the ### that keeping him is a problem. Secondly, who are they going to replace him with? Benson may not be tearing it up as a top draft pick is expected to, but he isnt a slouch either.

Effective RBs dont grow on trees, and there is no way the Bears can afford to both take Bensons cap hit, pay Thomas Jones (assumedly), and bring in a free agent significantly better than Benson. Rolling with Jones and Peterson and whoever they can pick up in the draft or off the slag heap doesnt seem wise for a team that needs to run the ball early and often.

And Benson hasnt been a total bust either. Who in this equation replaces Benson's upside, even given the disapointment to date? Benson still shows flashes of the back everyone thought he could be, is some guy in next years draft going to provide that kind of upside?

 

[Tenacious D]

Since Portis has been shipped out, Denver has been linked to every RB in the draft, every UDFA and street FA RB, and any RB remotely mentioned in trade rumors.

It doesn't make any sense. Thomas Jones has one year left on his contract, so unless they think Adrian Peterson is a feature back (in which case, why did they draft Benson) they screw themselves b/c they give Jones all the power to holdout next season and screw them or they have to resign Jones to a much bigger extension as he's about to turn 29? Not to mention, Benson is running well and seems to have gotten on board with the program.

Benson would have to be a total nutjob and completely disgruntled with the Bears for them to remotely consider doing this, which he's doing a good job of hiding lately if he is, and in which case, why would Denver want to pay a second rounder for him? Doesn't make sense on any level. If any RB is out of Chicago next year, it is Thomas Jones.

 

[Banger]

Sometimes teams should look to cut their losses if the opportunity arises. If the Bears feel Benson is a head case who won't help their team in the long run, they shouldn't hold him because they need to get a 1st round pick back in return. Trade him for a 2nd, which isn't bad, before the value declines further.

what has he shown that makes people think he can get a 2nd round pick? He's got 700+ yards in 2 years and a 3.9 ypc with 1/2 dozen TD's. Teams aren't going to overpay just because the Bears took him at the top of the 1st. Why wouldn't a team just use their 2nd round pick on a RB, lock that player up cheaper than they'd have to pay Benson and for a longer term?

I don't agree with this. Benson has gotten better as the season has progressed. Actually, he's gotten better as his role has been increased. He's doing a nice job backing up Jones and I think even Benson's biggest detractors would admit the Bears run to the Super Bowl is going to rely on defense and plenty of ground game, of which Benson will need to be a huge part.

I agree that he's gotten better but he's still not a solid/dependable RB especially one to consider for a 2nd round draft pick. Consider that J. Walker was dealt to the Bronc's for a 2nd and Walker is >>>>Benson. I agree with everything you said though and think there is probably a 2% chance he's dealt.

 

[Yo Eleven]

I am curious to know how many of the posters who say that Benson isn't producing actually watches and/or follows the Bears. The Bears have slowly increased Benson's workload as the season has progressed, and he has continued to show that he has the power and determination reminiscent of his days in Texas.

The Bears have had a stranglehold on their division this entire season, and have had 2 backs to rely on. At any point, a switch made to Benson would have caused a rift in the locker room and was not worth it to the Bears' organization. Jones has produced. Benson has produced. It is as simple as that. The Bears have home field locked up throughout the playoffs.

The Bears would be fools to trade Benson or Jones this offseason, as both are valuable to the organization. I do feel that if Benson were to get 2/3rds of Jones' carries, he would have easily outproduced him this season. Benson has power that Jones lacks and you can clearly see it when Benson moves the pile or breaks a tackle like last week when he shed a tackle at the 3 to get into the end zone.

I just don't see the Bears trading Benson. I could be wrong, but this just seems too far fetched.

 

[JohnnyU]

Not much is being said about A Peterson, and I think he's a VERY GOOD RB. Just maybe the Bears feel the same way. Yes, any team could draft a player high then later realize they see more in a player already on their roster than they thought they had. Such may be the case with Peterson, and while I don't think it's in the Bears best interest to trade Benson, it might not be totally out of the question. Personally, I think they should trade TJ in 2007 to upgrade in another position, keeping Benson and Peterson, but that's just my take on it.

 

[MU Seminole]

So as to how this affects Week 16, combining this with Lovie's comment that he may rest starters who aren't totally healthy, do any homers have insight to the possibility that CHI will showcase Benson this week (in many of our FF championships) and next to boost his value and rest Thomas? Benson would be a nice start as the primary RB against that DET DEF.

 

[JohnnyU]

So as to how this affects Week 16, combining this with Lovie's comment that he may rest starters who aren't totally healthy, do any homers have insight to the possibility that CHI will showcase Benson this week (in many of our FF championships) and next to boost his value and rest Thomas? Benson would be a nice start as the primary RB against that DET DEF.

Not that this thread should turn into a WDIS thread, but I'm staring Benson in 2 of 3 Super Bowls I'm involved in this week whether TJ starts or not.I always looked at the Chicago Bears as a "play great defense and pound the ball" type of team. That said, Benson fits the mold of a "Chicago Bears RB" more than TJ does, thus the reason why I think they should deal Jones in 2007. Adrian Peterson makes for a very good backup RB, so TJ is expendable.

 

[PatsWillWin]

I read the actual article in the Denver Post that this blurb is referencing. The reason I didn't rush to the SP to start a thread about it was because it was complete speculation by the Denver beat writer.

It was a long article about Cutler I think, and at the end it was like an around the league notes type section. There was literally two sentences at the end of the article about this and it was basically something like: "The Bears have Thomas Jones who is a good running back, so maybe they'd look to move Cedric Benson. If they did, the Broncos could definitely be interested."

He also briefly mentioned that the Bears would want a lot because of the cap hit they'd take to move Benson.

Basically, this is a complete non-story.

 

[Sinrman]

I used to bash Thomas Jones before he came to Chicago. Since he came to Da Bears, I've given him some respect and just dues for what he's done there. However, Chicago would be dumb to trade off Benson, and expect Jones to stay healthy and productive for long...

 

[Winning IS Everything]

As a BIG Bears fan, my opinion is that Benson will be kept in anticipation of a Thomas Jones holdout. There are no sources of a Jones holdout, but going into the last year of his deal it is a possibility.

 

[JohnnyU]

I read the actual article in the Denver Post that this blurb is referencing. The reason I didn't rush to the SP to start a thread about it was because it was complete speculation by the Denver beat writer.

It was a long article about Cutler I think, and at the end it was like an around the league notes type section. There was literally two sentences at the end of the article about this and it was basically something like: "The Bears have Thomas Jones who is a good running back, so maybe they'd look to move Cedric Benson. If they did, the Broncos could definitely be interested."

He also briefly mentioned that the Bears would want a lot because of the cap hit they'd take to move Benson.

Basically, this is a complete non-story.

Maybe so, maybe not. To me it makes sense to move one of them, given the fact they have a very capable RB in Adrian Peterson as a backup.

 

[PatsWillWin]

Maybe so, maybe not. To me it makes sense to move one of them, given the fact they have a very capable RB in Adrian Peterson as a backup.

It may or may not make sense. That's certainly a debatable topic. What is a "non-story" here is the implication that Chicago has made any kind of move or sign that they want to trade Benson. This "rumor" was fabricated by the writer of the Denver Post article.

 

[JohnnyU]

Maybe so, maybe not. To me it makes sense to move one of them, given the fact they have a very capable RB in Adrian Peterson as a backup.

It may or may not make sense. That's certainly a debatable topic. What is a "non-story" here is the implication that Chicago has made any kind of move or sign that they want to trade Benson. This "rumor" was fabricated by the writer of the Denver Post article.

I agree with you that there isn't anything to indicate the Bears are intersted in trading Benson, but it is a rumor of sorts, and it does spur talks in the Shark Pool about whether the Bears need to trade a RB in the off-season.

 

[B. Nugget]

JohnnyU,

You and I agree on almost nothing when it comes to the Bears running game, but I agree, it would make more sense to sign TJ to a new (cap-friendly) deal and then trade him rather than take the cap hits and trade Benson now when his perceived value is not high.

Also, congrats on making 3 Superbowls.

 

[PatsWillWin]

JohnnyU,You and I agree on almost nothing when it comes to the Bears running game, but I agree, it would make more sense to sign TJ to a new (cap-friendly) deal and then trade him rather than take the cap hits and trade Benson now when his perceived value is not high.Also, congrats on making 3 Superbowls.

Why would TJ sign a "cap friendly" contract so the Bears could trade him easily? This will be his last big contract, he'll want as much up front (ie guaranteed) money as he can get.

 

[B. Nugget]

JohnnyU,You and I agree on almost nothing when it comes to the Bears running game, but I agree, it would make more sense to sign TJ to a new (cap-friendly) deal and then trade him rather than take the cap hits and trade Benson now when his perceived value is not high.Also, congrats on making 3 Superbowls.

Why would TJ sign a "cap friendly" contract so the Bears could trade him easily? This will be his last big contract, he'll want as much up front (ie guaranteed) money as he can get.

Well, my memory serves, he wanted to be traded this off-season because he thought Benson was going to be given the starting job. If Benson is the future of that franchise, why wouldn't he want to get paid and a ticket out of town to another team? That would sure beat being a 30 yr old journeyman free-agent in 2008 who spent a year on the bench in a back-up role.

 

[PatsWillWin]

JohnnyU,You and I agree on almost nothing when it comes to the Bears running game, but I agree, it would make more sense to sign TJ to a new (cap-friendly) deal and then trade him rather than take the cap hits and trade Benson now when his perceived value is not high.Also, congrats on making 3 Superbowls.

Why would TJ sign a "cap friendly" contract so the Bears could trade him easily? This will be his last big contract, he'll want as much up front (ie guaranteed) money as he can get.

Well, my memory serves, he wanted to be traded this off-season because he thought Benson was going to be given the starting job. If Benson is the future of that franchise, why wouldn't he want to get paid and a ticket out of town to another team? That would sure beat being a 30 yr old journeyman free-agent in 2008 who spent a year on the bench in a back-up role.

His motivation to get out is so he can get $. So him taking less $ to become tradable to get out of Chicago makes absolutely no sense.Not to mention the usual disclaimer about how unusual player trades are in the NFL; especially for late 20's RB's. Whatever Chicago could fetch in a deal with TJ is worth less than TJ on the team.This is the NFL; not a fantasy league.

 

[Raider Nation]

This is just a pl......

 

[B. Nugget]

JohnnyU,You and I agree on almost nothing when it comes to the Bears running game, but I agree, it would make more sense to sign TJ to a new (cap-friendly) deal and then trade him rather than take the cap hits and trade Benson now when his perceived value is not high.Also, congrats on making 3 Superbowls.

Why would TJ sign a "cap friendly" contract so the Bears could trade him easily? This will be his last big contract, he'll want as much up front (ie guaranteed) money as he can get.

Well, my memory serves, he wanted to be traded this off-season because he thought Benson was going to be given the starting job. If Benson is the future of that franchise, why wouldn't he want to get paid and a ticket out of town to another team? That would sure beat being a 30 yr old journeyman free-agent in 2008 who spent a year on the bench in a back-up role.

His motivation to get out is so he can get $. So him taking less $ to become tradable to get out of Chicago makes absolutely no sense.Not to mention the usual disclaimer about how unusual player trades are in the NFL; especially for late 20's RB's. Whatever Chicago could fetch in a deal with TJ is worth less than TJ on the team.This is the NFL; not a fantasy league.

So what exactly is the going rate on the open market for an almost 30 yr old RB with 3 "good - very good" years during his playing career? Ahman Green sat out there for awhile last year coming back from his injury until signing a 1 year deal with Green Bay, who returned such quality RBs as Gado, Leach and Herron. It is not a guarantee that he will get his big pay day elsewhere.All I'm saying is that the Bears may offer a better deal to stay there and compete for a job than he would get by holding out and trying to get his big pay day with another team. Why couldn't the Bears sign him to a reasonable contract (look at Priest's contract when he came to KC) and give him incentives. If he really wants out that bad if/when Benson takes over, then they could afford to deal him without huge cap hits.Also, I realize this is the NFL and trades aren't that common, but this is a thread about a rumor that Benson could get traded, so most of the scenarios are hypothetical.

 

[turkishkamel]

I am curious to know how many of the posters who say that Benson isn't producing actually watches and/or follows the Bears. The Bears have slowly increased Benson's workload as the season has progressed, and he has continued to show that he has the power and determination reminiscent of his days in Texas.

The Bears have had a stranglehold on their division this entire season, and have had 2 backs to rely on. At any point, a switch made to Benson would have caused a rift in the locker room and was not worth it to the Bears' organization. Jones has produced. Benson has produced. It is as simple as that. The Bears have home field locked up throughout the playoffs.

The Bears would be fools to trade Benson or Jones this offseason, as both are valuable to the organization. I do feel that if Benson were to get 2/3rds of Jones' carries, he would have easily outproduced him this season. Benson has power that Jones lacks and you can clearly see it when Benson moves the pile or breaks a tackle like last week when he shed a tackle at the 3 to get into the end zone.

I just don't see the Bears trading Benson. I could be wrong, but this just seems too far fetched.

totally agree. i'm a lions fan living in bear country and have been forced to watch them play. benson has looked much better these past few weeks. he seems like the type of back that gets better with more touches. the more he gets the ball the stonger he looks. he actually may be a perfect fit for the bears offense. he's gotta learn to block better but i think he's on the right track. i also dont think he's as crazy as people make him out to be. he doesnt talk to the media well and he says whats on his mind. the chicago media sucks, just like they do everywhere else, and they pick at everything benson says. i have no problem with benson saying he's the best back on the team and he wants to start. i'd hope he felt that way.

i should add i dont own benson in any of my fantasy leagues.

i should also add no matter what happens with benson i think it was a mistake for the bears to take him at #4

 

[JohnnyU]

If the Bears don't trade TJ they are crazy, unless they can't get squat for him. They have the guys on their roster that fit the "Chicago Bears RB", so TJ should be moved if possible. However, if they can't get decent market value, then keep him. As a Benson owner it hurts me to say that, but it's a fact. One thing I do know and that is Cedric Benson fits more in line with the Chicago Bears tradition than Thomas Jones. I'll bet the Bears Ownership feels the same way.

 

[The Kansas Comet]

For many reasons listed above, it makes little sense for the Bears to do this. The large cap hit is a major reason not to do it, the fact that Benson is 5 years younger than Jones at a position where players don't age gracefully is another, Jones' contract status, and the investement of a high draft pick in Benson all make this speculation seem more like wishful thinking on the part of the Denver Post. If anything, I could see the Bears exploring the trade market for Jones after the season, as I doubt he will want to return to a RBBC in his contract year unless he gets a nice extension to compensate him, which I don't see happening since they already have a lot of money invested in Benson. I also wonder if the Bears will re-sign Peterson after this season - that could have a lot to do with their decision regarding Jones' future with the team. But I imagine Jones will be looking for starter money in an extension (as he should), and he won't get it in Chicago with Benson around.

 

[JohnnyU]

For many reasons listed above, it makes little sense for the Bears to do this. The large cap hit is a major reason not to do it, the fact that Benson is 5 years younger than Jones at a position where players don't age gracefully is another, Jones' contract status, and the investement of a high draft pick in Benson all make this speculation seem more like wishful thinking on the part of the Denver Post. If anything, I could see the Bears exploring the trade market for Jones after the season, as I doubt he will want to return to a RBBC in his contract year unless he gets a nice extension to compensate him, which I don't see happening since they already have a lot of money invested in Benson. I also wonder if the Bears will re-sign Peterson after this season - that could have a lot to do with their decision regarding Jones' future with the team. But I imagine Jones will be looking for starter money in an extension (as he should), and he won't get it in Chicago with Benson around.

I love your FBG ID, but you need a better pic of Sayers.

 

[GRIDIRON ASSASSIN]

This rumor is garbage.

They'll trade Denver Thomas Jones though.

For a first rounder.

 

[GRIDIRON ASSASSIN]

"Here's an interesting name that could be available in the offseason: Bears running back Cedric Benson. With Thomas Jones playing well, the Bears could be open to trading Benson. Denver wants a big, strong back. Benson fits that mold. ..." - as seen in the Denver Post on 12/17/06

The Bears 'could' be open to trading Benson?

Brett Favre 'could' be open to retirement.

Tom Coughlin 'could' be open to calming down.

Bill Parcells 'could' be open to liposuction.

T.O. 'could' be open to being normal.

The Cincinnati Bengals 'could' be open to doing background checks on their players.

 

[JohnnyU]

This rumor is garbage.They'll trade Denver Thomas Jones though.For a first rounder.

Who is Denver Thomas Jones? Did I miss a player that was a stud? Is he kin to Marice Jones Drew?

 

[flapgreen]

"Here's an interesting name that could be available in the offseason: Bears running back Cedric Benson. With Thomas Jones playing well, the Bears could be open to trading Benson. Denver wants a big, strong back. Benson fits that mold. ..." - as seen in the Denver Post on 12/17/06

The Bears 'could' be open to trading Benson?

Brett Favre 'could' be open to retirement.

Tom Coughlin 'could' be open to calming down.

Bill Parcells 'could' be open to liposuction.

T.O. 'could' be open to being normal.

The Cincinnati Bengals 'could' be open to doing background checks on their players.

 

[QUEZILLA]

Since Portis has been shipped out, Denver has been linked to every RB in the draft, every UDFA and street FA RB, and any RB remotely mentioned in trade rumors.

And, I don't expect it to change. Look forward to seeing a Michael Turner to Denver thread, another Ricky Williams to Denver thread, Thomas Jones, Deuce Mcallister, Mike Alstott, Michael Pittman, Greg Jones, Marshawn Lynch, Dominic Rhodes, Jamal Lewis, Musa Smith, Willis McGahee, etc.

 

[harryhood]

This news came out 3 days ago, so I'm not sure if it's been discussed. If so, I still think it deserves a thread of it's own, even with all the TJ vs Benson threads. Let's not turn this one into a TJ vs Benson thread, but instead let's discuss the possibility that Benson gets traded.

Bill Williamson of the Denver Post reports the Bears might be open to trading Cedric Benson after the season and the Broncos have interest. Benson's base salaries are cheap and the cap hit to get rid of him is huge. He has played well at times but his overall performance since his rookie season wouldn't merit anything more than a late second-round pick at best. This rumor is a little wild.Source: Denver Post

anyone pick up that his name could technically be William Williamson? As for Benson, I think that if he did go to Denver, the bell camp would be out of jobs and they would rely strictly on Ced. I do not think he is going anywhere this offseason though.