What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Thomas Jones to be cut? (1 Viewer)

what's wrong with RBBC? Benson wasn't even healthy for a substantial portion of the season. Thomas Jones was nicked a couple of times. RBs get hurt. And it's not as if the Bears can't afford to keep both these guys around (and Adrian Peterson as well!).

 
I don't think folks are giving Thomas Jones enough credit. He played on a HORRID offense. Yes, his offensive line is solid, but he was the one and only offensive threat for the entire season.
Same could be said for A-Train when he had his 1k seasons.I do like TJ alot though, and I'd be shocked if the Bears released him (trade is possible, I guess, but it seems like there may be a glut of RBs to be had again this season Edge(?), Ricky Williams(?))
 
Sounds just like the type of player the Patriots could use to help reload for next season.

Cap friendly

Veteran

Team Guy who will come with something to prove.  I would say he is a steal for a 3rd or 4th rounder.

Not a Pats homer or fan!
Pats homer & fan here who likes the way you think. :thumbup:

A Dillon/TJ/Faulk RBBC would be a horrowshow for FF but likely highly conducive to a successful Patriots season.
nah..drop dillon,he's done.drop faulk he sucks.give tj the job..it would be a great signing!!what about possibly signing ricky?? miami is looking to deal him, NE needs a power run game with dillon looking old and slow now..

:thumbup:

 
I think Benson will be an elite back, having near the impact of a Larry Johnson when he gets his shot. However, Jones is not getting cut because he's not making that much & right now he's the better back.They can get more than a 4th rounder for him with his salary & production of this past season.My guess is Jones and Benson are splitting carries at the start of next year.

 
Sounds just like the type of player the Patriots could use to help reload for next season.

Cap friendly

Veteran

Team Guy who will come with something to prove. I would say he is a steal for a 3rd or 4th rounder.

Not a Pats homer or fan!
Pats homer & fan here who likes the way you think. :thumbup:

A Dillon/TJ/Faulk RBBC would be a horrowshow for FF but likely highly conducive to a successful Patriots season.
nah..drop dillon,he's done.drop faulk he sucks.give tj the job..it would be a great signing!!what about possibly signing ricky?? miami is looking to deal him, NE needs a power run game with dillon looking old and slow now..

:thumbup:
I was thinking the other day after reading on the blogger that Dillon may be a cap casualty what the Pats would do. It seems that their last two RBs were vets who seemed to outlive their usefullness with their prior team. IIRC Smith was a FA and Dillon was acquired in a trade. Jones does seem to somewhat fit this mold (vet back), and his contract is not expensive.
 
They can get more than a 4th rounder for him with his salary & production of this past season.
Again, if the Seahawks and Colts couldn't get 3rd rounders for their backs, the Bears aren't getting a 3rd rounder or higher for Jones.No way.

 
They can get more than a 4th rounder for him with his salary & production of this past season.
Again, if the Seahawks and Colts couldn't get 3rd rounders for their backs, the Bears aren't getting a 3rd rounder or higher for Jones.No way.
It's not just the quality of the back but the contract they'll demand as well. No team would argue that alexander or James are worth 3rd rounders, but when you figure in the money they want, it becomes dicey. Jones is signed to a very reasonable contract amking him worth more than backs who may be superior to him.
 
They can get more than a 4th rounder for him with his salary & production of this past season.
Again, if the Seahawks and Colts couldn't get 3rd rounders for their backs, the Bears aren't getting a 3rd rounder or higher for Jones.No way.
It's not just the quality of the back but the contract they'll demand as well. No team would argue that alexander or James are worth 3rd rounders, but when you figure in the money they want, it becomes dicey. Jones is signed to a very reasonable contract amking him worth more than backs who may be superior to him.
Good point.
 
I think Benson will be an elite back, having near the impact of a Larry Johnson when he gets his shot.
I can say with great certainty that Cedric Benson will have nowhere near the same impact that Larry Johnson has.I'll repeat myself if this was not clear enough.

 
I don't think folks are giving Thomas Jones enough credit. He played on a HORRID offense. Yes, his offensive line is solid, but he was the one and only offensive threat for the entire season.
Same could be said for A-Train when he had his 1k seasons.I do like TJ alot though, and I'd be shocked if the Bears released him (trade is possible, I guess, but it seems like there may be a glut of RBs to be had again this season Edge(?), Ricky Williams(?))
Thomas Jones is by any account a more talented and more versatile RB than Anthony Thomas ever was (which helps to explain why A-train never had Jones' numbers).
 
I appreciate Thomas Jones effort and he played hard and hurt, but I think a lot of rbs would have had similar numbers behind that line. It wouldn't surprise me seeing he is 30 and can't outrun a linebacker.
He doesn't turn 28 until August.
 
Who made the final decision to draft Benson last year, and are they still with the organization?

I know hindsight is 20/20, but that is looking more and more like a stupid draft pick..
Think of where they'd be if they'd have drafted Shawne Merriman or Derrick Johnson :eek: They were in a tough place with that #4 spot. For their needs, there wasn't many options.
True - as we discussed ad nauseum around these parts, at #4 Benson was universally deemed be the best player at that spot despite RB not being a huge need for the Bears. While as of now, Johnson or Merriman seem like they were clearly better picks, the Bears would have been vilified last April if they went that direction. Ah, the joy of 20/20 hindsight.
No way, the Benson pick was immmediately lambasted in the national media and especially in Chicago. I was in Chicago in early May and every call on sports radio was someone complaining about the pick.
 
They can get more than a 4th rounder for him with his salary & production of this past season.
Again, if the Seahawks and Colts couldn't get 3rd rounders for their backs, the Bears aren't getting a 3rd rounder or higher for Jones.No way.
Those situations were mainly about the money, while Jones has a very reasonable contract.
 
I think Benson will be an elite back, having near the impact of a Larry Johnson when he gets his shot.
I can say with great certainty that Cedric Benson will have nowhere near the same impact that Larry Johnson has.I'll repeat myself if this was not clear enough.
To quote Joe - "Otis is right."
 
They can get more than a 4th rounder for him with his salary & production of this past season.
Again, if the Seahawks and Colts couldn't get 3rd rounders for their backs, the Bears aren't getting a 3rd rounder or higher for Jones.No way.
Those situations were mainly about the money, while Jones has a very reasonable contract.
That was pointed out to me earlier and is a good point that I hadn't thought of.
 
Who made the final decision to draft Benson last year, and are they still with the organization?

I know hindsight is 20/20, but that is looking more and more like a stupid draft pick..
Think of where they'd be if they'd have drafted Shawne Merriman or Derrick Johnson :eek: They were in a tough place with that #4 spot. For their needs, there wasn't many options.
True - as we discussed ad nauseum around these parts, at #4 Benson was universally deemed be the best player at that spot despite RB not being a huge need for the Bears. While as of now, Johnson or Merriman seem like they were clearly better picks, the Bears would have been vilified last April if they went that direction. Ah, the joy of 20/20 hindsight.
No way, the Benson pick was immmediately lambasted in the national media and especially in Chicago. I was in Chicago in early May and every call on sports radio was someone complaining about the pick.
Fair point - I seem to recall that as well in Chicago, probably since as mentioned, RB wasn't a huge deal. I was referring less to the fan base as opposed to the perception around the league.
 
They can get more than a 4th rounder for him with his salary & production of this past season.
Again, if the Seahawks and Colts couldn't get 3rd rounders for their backs, the Bears aren't getting a 3rd rounder or higher for Jones.No way.
It's not just the quality of the back but the contract they'll demand as well. No team would argue that alexander or James are worth 3rd rounders, but when you figure in the money they want, it becomes dicey. Jones is signed to a very reasonable contract amking him worth more than backs who may be superior to him.
But do you really believe that Thomas Jones is happy with his contract after his performance this season? He's slated to make 2 million in base next year and 2.25 the year after that. Hell, Derrick Blaylock's deal is pretty close to that.

The fact that he turns 28 in August and won't hit FA until he's 29.5 is only going to add to his desire to get paid what he is worth, right now.

This is why I think it's very logical that Jones gets traded this year - if I were him, I wouldn't be happy about my contract... If I were the Bears, I wouldn't pay him more with Benson...

 
Last edited by a moderator:
They can get more than a 4th rounder for him with his salary & production of this past season.
Again, if the Seahawks and Colts couldn't get 3rd rounders for their backs, the Bears aren't getting a 3rd rounder or higher for Jones.No way.
It's not just the quality of the back but the contract they'll demand as well. No team would argue that alexander or James are worth 3rd rounders, but when you figure in the money they want, it becomes dicey. Jones is signed to a very reasonable contract amking him worth more than backs who may be superior to him.
But do you really believe that Thomas Jones is happy with his contract after his performance this season? He's slated to make 2 million in base next year and 2.25 the year after that. Hell, Derrick Blaylock's deal is pretty close to that.

The fact that he turns 28 in August and won't hit FA until he's 29.5 is only going to add to his desire to get paid what he is worth, right now.

This is why I think it's very logical that Jones gets traded this year - if I were him, I wouldn't be happy about my contract... If I were the Bears, I wouldn't pay him more with Benson...
Does he really have much choice though. Still 2 years remaining on his contract. He could try holding out but that hasn't been successful as of late for very many players.
 
They can get more than a 4th rounder for him with his salary & production of this past season.
Again, if the Seahawks and Colts couldn't get 3rd rounders for their backs, the Bears aren't getting a 3rd rounder or higher for Jones.No way.
It's not just the quality of the back but the contract they'll demand as well. No team would argue that alexander or James are worth 3rd rounders, but when you figure in the money they want, it becomes dicey. Jones is signed to a very reasonable contract amking him worth more than backs who may be superior to him.
But do you really believe that Thomas Jones is happy with his contract after his performance this season? He's slated to make 2 million in base next year and 2.25 the year after that. Hell, Derrick Blaylock's deal is pretty close to that.

The fact that he turns 28 in August and won't hit FA until he's 29.5 is only going to add to his desire to get paid what he is worth, right now.

This is why I think it's very logical that Jones gets traded this year - if I were him, I wouldn't be happy about my contract... If I were the Bears, I wouldn't pay him more with Benson...
Does he really have much choice though. Still 2 years remaining on his contract. He could try holding out but that hasn't been successful as of late for very many players.
Dillon said that he would never play a down for his team - he was successful in getting moved.Travis Henry has said that he would never play a down for his team - he was successful in getting moved and then got a new deal.

Keenan McCardell said he wouldn't play another down unless he got a new deal - he was moved and got a new deal.

Any team that trades for Thomas Jones is going to want to have the contract situation worked out on the front end. They aren't going to trade a 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th rounder for a guy that is pissed about his deal and could hold out.

If I'm Thomas Jones - I go to the Bears and tell them I want more money and if they won't give it to me then trade me to someone that will. And I plant the seed right now, while they're evaluating their draft options.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
this is ridiculous. no way he gets released. no freakin way. trade maybe, but no way he gets cut.
My money is on him not being traded, cut or released. He stays with the team. They still don't know what they have with Benson. More and more teams have been effective with a RBBC. He knows the offense. He's a versitile player. And he's cheap. I say he stays....
 
I think Benson will be an elite back, having near the impact of a Larry Johnson when he gets his shot.
I can say with great certainty that Cedric Benson will have nowhere near the same impact that Larry Johnson has.I'll repeat myself if this was not clear enough.
I'm sure you were saying Johnson would of had the impact he's now having after his rookie year too......
 
Thomas Jones has no leverage - he's got Benson biting at his heels. He'd be stupid to complain/hold out since the Bears have other options.
Seemed to work just fine for Travis Henry, who had McGahee biting at his heels. Thomas Jones would be well served to do/say whatever it is that gets him the most money. Period, end of story.He has 0 to lose by being a jerk about it, he's already got a contract for next season that he can always play for if things don't work out, and if they cut or trade him, he's likely to get paid more.

 
I think Benson will be an elite back, having near the impact of a Larry Johnson when he gets his shot.
I can say with great certainty that Cedric Benson will have nowhere near the same impact that Larry Johnson has.I'll repeat myself if this was not clear enough.
I'm sure you were saying Johnson would of had the impact he's now having after his rookie year too......
Don't make me repeat myself again. Let's be very, very clear about this.
 
I appreciate Thomas Jones effort and he played hard and hurt, but I think a lot of rbs would have had similar numbers behind that line.  It wouldn't surprise me seeing he is 30 and can't outrun a linebacker.
There's a big difference in having success getting 20 carries a game and getting a couple carries a game. And TJ is 27 not 30. TJ was the only offensive spark that crappy offense had for the better part of the season.
Yep 27. Born the same month as E James. He has some good years left. I thought he was one of the better RB's this season. He looked great. And for most of the year the passing game was bad and he still beat 8-9 in the box.
 
Hub Arkush was on Boers and Bernstein (sp?) today and mentioned that he thought there is a 50% chance the Bears will cut or try to trade (he guesses for a 4th rounder) Thomas Jones. His reasoning is that they need to do more than tweak the team and could use extra cap space and that you don't waste the #4 on a rookie who is going to sit his first 2 years. The Bears also resigned Adrian Peterson, whom they like very much.

Edit to add: While he thought Thomas Jones had a good season, it was a good season for Thomas Jones, not one you would expect from a top flight back. Arkush believes that it is becoming the norm for backs to get 1700 ru yds and 16+ TD's. Not 1300 and 6.

I didn't get to listen to the rest of the show as I had to go back to work. Did anybody else catch the rest of this discussion?

FYI, Hub Arkush was a former announcer for the Bears and I believe is an editor for Pro Football Weekly.
I am an idiot and cant read. nevermind my post.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hub Arkush was on Boers and Bernstein (sp?) today and mentioned that he thought there is a 50% chance the Bears will cut or try to trade (he guesses for a 4th rounder) Thomas Jones. His reasoning is that they need to do more than tweak the team and could use extra cap space and that you don't waste the #4 on a rookie who is going to sit his first 2 years. The Bears also resigned Adrian Peterson, whom they like very much.

Edit to add: While he thought Thomas Jones had a good season, it was a good season for Thomas Jones, not one you would expect from a top flight back. Arkush believes that it is becoming the norm for backs to get 1700 ru yds and 16+ TD's. Not 1300 and 6.

I didn't get to listen to the rest of the show as I had to go back to work. Did anybody else catch the rest of this discussion?

FYI, Hub Arkush was a former announcer for the Bears and I believe is an editor for Pro Football Weekly.
I listened to the show, and he only mentioned this as a possibilty to load up and go on money for a big move.According to various sites, the Bears have 17 million in cap space so it doesn't sound as if they are hurting for room.

 
The guy was the only Bears running back to rush for 1,300 yards in a season. He's not going anyplace.Hub Arkush is simply trying to be thought provoking.If he REALLY wanted to puzzle Bears fans, he'd follow my theory:Jerry Angelo will give Charles 'Peanut' Tillman a contract extension.Face it... the guys value will never be lower, and he probably feels VERY guilty that he sucked SO bad against the Panthers. Cost the Bears 3 TDs: The blown coverage on the 2nd play, the missed INT that Steve Smith grabbed from him and the confusion at the goal line on Mangum's TD. The Bears only lost by 8 points - and scored 21. Tillman alone pretty much cost them 21.

 
I think Benson will be an elite back, having near the impact of a Larry Johnson when he gets his shot.
I can say with great certainty that Cedric Benson will have nowhere near the same impact that Larry Johnson has.I'll repeat myself if this was not clear enough.
I'm sure you were saying Johnson would of had the impact he's now having after his rookie year too......
Don't make me repeat myself again. Let's be very, very clear about this.
I think he is going to be the future of the Bears, a stud RB that felt the heat of the NFL in his first year.Learning experiance. To be clear: Otis will miss this steal.
 
Curious why 2005 didn't make some of you guys lessen your high expectations for Benson? Even just a little bit

 
Curious why 2005 didn't make some of you guys lessen your high expectations for Benson? Even just a little bit
I only saw him play in a couple games, but looked pretty damn. Don't forget that this kid was picked #4 overall for a reason. He is a horse who will have a pretty damn good NFL career barring injury.
 
Curious why 2005 didn't make some of you guys lessen your high expectations for Benson? Even just a little bit
Mainly because he really didn't play this season. When he did play, he had some nice moments..Some nice OT runs vs. the Saints (may have been vs. Detroit)...In his only start, he had about 50 yards at the half vs. SF in the wind game.I do have some concerns about his desire to get on the field, but I think some of it was just frustration by Benson over not having the impact that he expected of himself.

 
Curious why 2005 didn't make some of you guys lessen your high expectations for Benson? Even just a little bit
He looked solid in his limited time. Showed a nice burst to him. If he sucked like Arrington did all preseason/season, of course I'd lower my expectations. He made a terrible choice and held out through the preseason & Jones took the opportunity and ran with it. Now Benson has to earn the job back. I'm looking forward to the battle next training camp.

 
Hub Arkush was on Boers and Bernstein (sp?) today and mentioned that he thought there is a 50% chance the Bears will cut or try to trade (he guesses for a 4th rounder) Thomas Jones. His reasoning is that they need to do more than tweak the team and could use extra cap space and that you don't waste the #4 on a rookie who is going to sit his first 2 years. The Bears also resigned Adrian Peterson, whom they like very much.

Edit to add: While he thought Thomas Jones had a good season, it was a good season for Thomas Jones, not one you would expect from a top flight back. Arkush believes that it is becoming the norm for backs to get 1700 ru yds and 16+ TD's. Not 1300 and 6.

I didn't get to listen to the rest of the show as I had to go back to work. Did anybody else catch the rest of this discussion?

FYI, Hub Arkush was a former announcer for the Bears and I believe is an editor for Pro Football Weekly.
I listened to the show, and he only mentioned this as a possibilty to load up and go on money for a big move.According to various sites, the Bears have 17 million in cap space so it doesn't sound as if they are hurting for room.
I only listened to the beginning as I can't stand B and B and I was going back to work. Thanks for clarifying. You too Dr J. I think he said the Bears do not have 17 million in cap space, closer to 10mil if i remember correctly. I was under the impression it was 17mil before that too. Therefore, if they want to make a move for a premium player they will need to drop a few guys.

Haynes will be gone, that's for sure.

Finally, I personally think the Bears need to re-up on Briggs. That should be their #1 priority. Then, see how the offseason unwinds from there.

 
Curious why 2005 didn't make some of you guys lessen your high expectations for Benson? Even just a little bit
Mainly because he really didn't play this season. When he did play, he had some nice moments..Some nice OT runs vs. the Saints (may have been vs. Detroit)...In his only start, he had about 50 yards at the half vs. SF in the wind game.I do have some concerns about his desire to get on the field, but I think some of it was just frustration by Benson over not having the impact that he expected of himself.
I agree with this. What he did show in limited time was promising. Also, at the end of the year, even though he was cleared by the Bears doctors, I read that he was worried about busting his knee again because it "felt loose" and possibly messing up his career since he is still only a rookie. While the dude definitely marches to the beat of his own drum, it is refreshing to hear something other than the normal cliche's that are regurgitated in every interview. I honestly can't believe he didn't have a Palmer-like shredding of his knee. That was nasty.

The thing that irritates me, and my friends constantly say this too, is that the Bears didn't need Benson at #4 and they should have traded down. It was already mentioned by some draft guru in this thread. Problem is, nobody wanted to trade up. So are they supposed to trade down and not get value just for the sake of trading down? IMO, Mike Williams wasn't worth the #4. Maybe as a TE, which the Bears need, but the Bears and other teams had Benson rated around this spot. Just as L. Johnson has shown, you can't judge the player on their rookie (and 2nd year where Larry showed flashes) alone.

 
Curious why 2005 didn't make some of you guys lessen your high expectations for Benson? Even just a little bit
Mainly because he really didn't play this season. When he did play, he had some nice moments..Some nice OT runs vs. the Saints (may have been vs. Detroit)...In his only start, he had about 50 yards at the half vs. SF in the wind game.I do have some concerns about his desire to get on the field, but I think some of it was just frustration by Benson over not having the impact that he expected of himself.
I agree with this. What he did show in limited time was promising. Also, at the end of the year, even though he was cleared by the Bears doctors, I read that he was worried about busting his knee again because it "felt loose" and possibly messing up his career since he is still only a rookie. While the dude definitely marches to the beat of his own drum, it is refreshing to hear something other than the normal cliche's that are regurgitated in every interview. I honestly can't believe he didn't have a Palmer-like shredding of his knee. That was nasty.

The thing that irritates me, and my friends constantly say this too, is that the Bears didn't need Benson at #4 and they should have traded down. It was already mentioned by some draft guru in this thread. Problem is, nobody wanted to trade up. So are they supposed to trade down and not get value just for the sake of trading down? IMO, Mike Williams wasn't worth the #4. Maybe as a TE, which the Bears need, but the Bears and other teams had Benson rated around this spot. Just as L. Johnson has shown, you can't judge the player on their rookie (and 2nd year where Larry showed flashes) alone.
RB wasn't a super high priority, but Jones hasn't been able to get through a season healthy, and Benson offered a different look as well. It did look like a slap at Jones, but the Bears kept saying that they wanted 2 RB's that could carry the load. Turns out that they have 3 now with Peterson playing so well with the opportunity that he had.It's impossible to judge Benson after 1 season...The guy barely touched the field because Jones had such a solid season, and Benson came into camp late. Next season, I think he'll be on the field more, not only because of his talent level, but because the Bears want to keep Jones healthy.

 
Hub Arkush was on Boers and Bernstein (sp?) today and mentioned that he thought there is a 50% chance the Bears will cut or try to trade (he guesses for a 4th rounder) Thomas Jones. His reasoning is that they need to do more than tweak the team and could use extra cap space and that you don't waste the #4 on a rookie who is going to sit his first 2 years. The Bears also resigned Adrian Peterson, whom they like very much.

Edit to add: While he thought Thomas Jones had a good season, it was a good season for Thomas Jones, not one you would expect from a top flight back. Arkush believes that it is becoming the norm for backs to get 1700 ru yds and 16+ TD's. Not 1300 and 6.

I didn't get to listen to the rest of the show as I had to go back to work. Did anybody else catch the rest of this discussion?

FYI, Hub Arkush was a former announcer for the Bears and I believe is an editor for Pro Football Weekly.
I listened to the show, and he only mentioned this as a possibilty to load up and go on money for a big move.According to various sites, the Bears have 17 million in cap space so it doesn't sound as if they are hurting for room.
I only listened to the beginning as I can't stand B and B and I was going back to work. Thanks for clarifying. You too Dr J. I think he said the Bears do not have 17 million in cap space, closer to 10mil if i remember correctly. I was under the impression it was 17mil before that too. Therefore, if they want to make a move for a premium player they will need to drop a few guys.

Haynes will be gone, that's for sure.

Finally, I personally think the Bears need to re-up on Briggs. That should be their #1 priority. Then, see how the offseason unwinds from there.
It is nearly impossible to get an accurate accessment of where a team is at from a cap standpoint - one articile says 17 million, Hub says not that much...Haynes will be gone, but I think that's going to cost the Bears something a 2.6 million in a cap hit.

Briggs should be the #1 priority - I hope they are working on it now, or at least very soon. Let's get this taken care of before free agency.

After that, I think they just try to improve the overall depth in free agency...I know there are some TO rumors out there, but I don't believe it. Angelo is way too conservative to bring him in.

They could use another CB with Azumah most likely gone, another veteran WR, some OL depth if Metcalf leaves - they are ok for next season, but will need to look at drafting a lineman for the future....LBing depth is also needed. Hillenmayer is better suited as a MLB, but I wasn't displeased with his play.

Another spot I'd like to see addressed, but probably won't is the pass rush - I believe they were in the bottom half of the league in sacks per pass attempt....Ogunleye had double digit sacks, but I can't say there was one other person going into a game who I knew could cause the QB problems....Alex Brown is solid, but he only had 5.5 sacks, 4 in one game. Urlacher and Harris can get back there as well, but if they do replace Hillenmayer, I wouldn't mind a pass rushing OLB who they can use in passing situations.

Mike Green won't be on the team next season either....Todd Johnson can play both positions (notice I didn't say well!)....

Also, what about kicker ? Gould played great inside 40, but his kickoffs were rather short, and he sucked outside of 40. Do they bring in veteran competition ? I'm thinking he's their guy.

 
I think Benson will be an elite back, having near the impact of a Larry Johnson when he gets his shot.
I can say with great certainty that Cedric Benson will have nowhere near the same impact that Larry Johnson has.I'll repeat myself if this was not clear enough.
I'm sure you were saying Johnson would of had the impact he's now having after his rookie year too......
Don't make me repeat myself again. Let's be very, very clear about this.
I think he is going to be the future of the Bears, a stud RB that felt the heat of the NFL in his first year.Learning experiance. To be clear: Otis will miss this steal.
Seriously.You seriously think Benson will put up the numbers LJ put up in *limited* action this past year.

Wow. One of, if not THE single best statistical run for a running back in NFL HISTORY...and yet, Benson will equal that, no problem.

Please.

 
Hub Arkush was on Boers and Bernstein (sp?) today and mentioned that he thought there is a 50% chance the Bears will cut or try to trade (he guesses for a 4th rounder) Thomas Jones. His reasoning is that they need to do more than tweak the team and could use extra cap space and that you don't waste the #4 on a rookie who is going to sit his first 2 years. The Bears also resigned Adrian Peterson, whom they like very much.

Edit to add: While he thought Thomas Jones had a good season, it was a good season for Thomas Jones, not one you would expect from a top flight back. Arkush believes that it is becoming the norm for backs to get 1700 ru yds and 16+ TD's. Not 1300 and 6.

I didn't get to listen to the rest of the show as I had to go back to work. Did anybody else catch the rest of this discussion?

FYI, Hub Arkush was a former announcer for the Bears and I believe is an editor for Pro Football Weekly.
I listened to the show, and he only mentioned this as a possibilty to load up and go on money for a big move.According to various sites, the Bears have 17 million in cap space so it doesn't sound as if they are hurting for room.
I only listened to the beginning as I can't stand B and B and I was going back to work. Thanks for clarifying. You too Dr J. I think he said the Bears do not have 17 million in cap space, closer to 10mil if i remember correctly. I was under the impression it was 17mil before that too. Therefore, if they want to make a move for a premium player they will need to drop a few guys.

Haynes will be gone, that's for sure.

Finally, I personally think the Bears need to re-up on Briggs. That should be their #1 priority. Then, see how the offseason unwinds from there.
It is nearly impossible to get an accurate accessment of where a team is at from a cap standpoint - one articile says 17 million, Hub says not that much...Haynes will be gone, but I think that's going to cost the Bears something a 2.6 million in a cap hit.

Briggs should be the #1 priority - I hope they are working on it now, or at least very soon. Let's get this taken care of before free agency.

After that, I think they just try to improve the overall depth in free agency...I know there are some TO rumors out there, but I don't believe it. Angelo is way too conservative to bring him in.

They could use another CB with Azumah most likely gone, another veteran WR, some OL depth if Metcalf leaves - they are ok for next season, but will need to look at drafting a lineman for the future....LBing depth is also needed. Hillenmayer is better suited as a MLB, but I wasn't displeased with his play.

Another spot I'd like to see addressed, but probably won't is the pass rush - I believe they were in the bottom half of the league in sacks per pass attempt....Ogunleye had double digit sacks, but I can't say there was one other person going into a game who I knew could cause the QB problems....Alex Brown is solid, but he only had 5.5 sacks, 4 in one game. Urlacher and Harris can get back there as well, but if they do replace Hillenmayer, I wouldn't mind a pass rushing OLB who they can use in passing situations.

Mike Green won't be on the team next season either....Todd Johnson can play both positions (notice I didn't say well!)....

Also, what about kicker ? Gould played great inside 40, but his kickoffs were rather short, and he sucked outside of 40. Do they bring in veteran competition ? I'm thinking he's their guy.
Not believing the TO rumors. Maybe if Ditka was there ...he does somehow put up with Michael Irvin on ESPN. That takes a ton of tolerance.....and scotch. I think the Bears need:

- Briggs resigned

- Hillenmeyer, if the price is right. He's decent but that's about it.

- TE and more importantly, to use the TE. D Clark is terrible.

- Depth at OL, DB, and LB. You can never have too many quality linemen, IMO. Samething with DB's.

- WR help

That's a lot to cover.

I think the Bears are sticking with Gould. The coaches saw things they liked and obviously he needs to work on the length of his kickoffs. However, the Bears were #2 on kick coverage this year so it wasn't a problem until the playoff game.

 
With all the nickel and dime coverages (which don't require 3 LBs), Hillenmeyer isn't that high of a priority. He's a backup MLB - and that's about it. He just happened to fill in at OLB adequately. The Bears priorities should be:Extend BriggsExtend Tillman (if he can't play CB, he certainly can play FS) - remember Azumah is historySign UFA Antwaan Randle Eland draft the rookie TE from Maryland or Georgia in Round One Then get some OG, OLB and DB depth....

 
I think Benson will be an elite back, having near the impact of a Larry Johnson when he gets his shot.
I can say with great certainty that Cedric Benson will have nowhere near the same impact that Larry Johnson has.I'll repeat myself if this was not clear enough.
I'm sure you were saying Johnson would of had the impact he's now having after his rookie year too......
Don't make me repeat myself again. Let's be very, very clear about this.
I think he is going to be the future of the Bears, a stud RB that felt the heat of the NFL in his first year.Learning experiance. To be clear: Otis will miss this steal.
Seriously.You seriously think Benson will put up the numbers LJ put up in *limited* action this past year.

Wow. One of, if not THE single best statistical run for a running back in NFL HISTORY...and yet, Benson will equal that, no problem.

Please.
:lmao: "near the impact" I can see. You're blowing the comment out of proportion.
 
I think Benson will be an elite back, having near the impact of a Larry Johnson when he gets his shot.
I can say with great certainty that Cedric Benson will have nowhere near the same impact that Larry Johnson has.I'll repeat myself if this was not clear enough.
I'm sure you were saying Johnson would of had the impact he's now having after his rookie year too......
Don't make me repeat myself again. Let's be very, very clear about this.
I think he is going to be the future of the Bears, a stud RB that felt the heat of the NFL in his first year.Learning experiance. To be clear: Otis will miss this steal.
Seriously.You seriously think Benson will put up the numbers LJ put up in *limited* action this past year.

Wow. One of, if not THE single best statistical run for a running back in NFL HISTORY...and yet, Benson will equal that, no problem.

Please.
I never said he would put up those numbers, just like i said LJ wont put up those numbers again.I said he is the future for the Bears.
 
Who made the final decision to draft Benson last year, and are they still with the organization?

I know hindsight is 20/20, but that is looking more and more like a stupid draft pick..
Think of where they'd be if they'd have drafted Shawne Merriman or Derrick Johnson :eek: They were in a tough place with that #4 spot. For their needs, there wasn't many options.
True - as we discussed ad nauseum around these parts, at #4 Benson was universally deemed be the best player at that spot despite RB not being a huge need for the Bears. While as of now, Johnson or Merriman seem like they were clearly better picks, the Bears would have been vilified last April if they went that direction. Ah, the joy of 20/20 hindsight.
No way, the Benson pick was immmediately lambasted in the national media and especially in Chicago. I was in Chicago in early May and every call on sports radio was someone complaining about the pick.
Thats not true at all. Mike Williams was the more popular choice, but the Benson pick was by no means "lambasted"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
No way, the Benson pick was immmediately lambasted in the national media and especially in Chicago. I was in Chicago in early May and every call on sports radio was someone complaining about the pick.
Thats not true at all. Mike Williams was the more popular choice, but the Benson pick was by no means "lambasted"
What do you base that comment on RBM? Do you live here in Chi-town?I'm not a Chicago fan, but I live in the city. Every Bears' fan I know HATED the Benson pick. Most people thought then (& still do now) that it was ridiculous.

 
Edit to add: While he thought Thomas Jones had a good season, it was a good season for Thomas Jones, not one you would expect from a top flight back. Arkush believes that it is becoming the norm for backs to get 1700 ru yds and 16+ TD's. Not 1300 and 6.
Wow, delusion is a hell of a drug!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I don't think folks are giving Thomas Jones enough credit.  He played on a HORRID offense.  Yes, his offensive line is solid, but he was the one and only offensive threat for the entire season.
Same could be said for A-Train when he had his 1k seasons.I do like TJ alot though, and I'd be shocked if the Bears released him (trade is possible, I guess, but it seems like there may be a glut of RBs to be had again this season Edge(?), Ricky Williams(?))
Thomas Jones is by any account a more talented and more versatile RB than Anthony Thomas ever was (which helps to explain why A-train never had Jones' numbers).
Never said TJ wasn't more talented, I'm just saying the Bears have done it before in terms of benching their best offensive weapon. :shrug: A-Train was the lone bright spot for the bears offense -- they sign TJ and bench A-Train.

TJ is the lone bright spot for the bears offense (though he gets dinged up), they sign Benson though they clearly have other needs.

TJ is again the lone bright spot for the bears in '05 -- but Benson is still waiting in the wings.

we'll see.

 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top