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No one is a lock to do something they've never done before.
I agree with you 100%....I don't get it either...Next year he won't be ranked low thats for sure
Tell me more about the character concerns. Is this about him saying stuff he probably shouldn't have said or is there something more here?
I'd agree with the durability concern, but what character concerns (other than media hype) does Cedric have?Looks to me he is set up for a great season.
Mental/emotional strength. Not good guy-bad guy.Benson has been sneaking higher and higher on my lists as the days go by though.
Some of his teammates don't like him...there was an incident with him leaving the field early during a game I believe.
Which teammates don't like him? My guess is none. He is poised for a breakout year.
Although I cannot cite specific reports (I know, pretty convenient for me) I do know that it was common knowledge that during the '05-'06 offseason he ticked off a LOT of teammates by his locker room attitude. Wish I could remember what it was about - but I know for a fact he had some attitude question marks. Whether he still does or if it will mean squat to his current value - who knows? That, and I also agree with the "he's never done it before" response. Benson's situation is VERY comparable to Kevan Barlow 3 years ago. I remember when almost everyone thought the only thing seperating him from top 7 RB status was opportunity. GRAB DUDE'S BACKUP. Not cuz it's a given Cedric will fail - but because the guy will otherwise go undrafted behind one of the shakier backfield situations in the league.
Next year he wont be ranked at all.....Like someone said durability and mostly character concern, he is dumb.I agree with you 100%....I don't get it either...Next year he won't be ranked low thats for sure
The only think Benson is a lock to do is cry in a corner at some point in the season.
they do, but not with Benson.he has injury concerns, and in the biggest game of his life, last years SB, he had one carry for zero yards and a game changing fumble.
Jones had averaged nearly 100 yards of offense per game for CHI the season before Benson got there and 115 yards per game the first month+ of Benson's rookie season. TJ was very productive, so it's misleading to suggest that Jones was putting up A-Trainesque numbers.
I too am on the fence. I wouldn't be shocked if he did well considering the situation he's in but I wouldn't be shocked if he was a flop. Yes, he's a battering ram but he's struggled with injuries and he barely got the ball. How is he going to fare getting the ball 20+ times a week? Will he have to change his running style? If so, will he be effective?They gave him the ball in the superbowl and he got lit up due to his lack of vision. IMO the only reason to like Benson is the opportunity because I haven't seen him distinguish himself from a talent POV from either Thomas Jones or Peterson. I won't be going after Benson in any draft but I will grab Peterson in every draft.
I would generally agree with this and include in that the situational factors (great defense, team that should be ahead a lot). I want to say that it's good that the team completely trusts him, and is handing him the job, but I almost think the best thing for a guy who seems soft as a pro is to make him win the job.
At what is considered a "character concern" these days. People dislike him personally and suddenly he's the second coming of Pac-Man Jones. The last I checked "teammates liking him" and "media perception" have little to do with on-field performance. What is even more amusing about these debates is that Thomas Jones is portrayed as the "consumate hard-working pro, great teammate, etc." How quickly we forget how even he behaved just a few short years ago...Thomas Jones called a bust...
Thomas Jones blaming his poor production on a lack of opportunity...
Again, blaming a lack of production on a lack of carries. Looks like Jones was right...
"Moody first round bust with attitude problems"...
The topic of many FBG's threads...Thomas Jones breaking his hand on a phone...
The fact is that if you are a highly touted first round pick and you find yourself in a dismal situation it's human nature to react in the way that Benson has in Chicago and the way that Jones did in Arizona. These players can become remarkably productive when they find themselves in a situation where they have opportunity. People need to rank their players more on talent and opportunity and less on how well they like the media filtered fluff articles they read about a player.
exactly what I saw also, I thought he looked really good the second half of the year. I am hoping getting him in the third, but I think his stock is going to rise quite a bit come august.
I recall he was going to be the starting RB going into the season until Urlacher and Brown sandwiched him and his should was dislocated. This injury caused him to miss the remainder of the preseason and not have the starting RB job. I think he even missed the first two games of the season last year because of the injury.
Not serious injuries, but they came at crucial junctures - a knee injury when he had a chance to step up in Jones absence in 2005. A shoulder injury when he was atop the depth chart last year in training camp, and a knee injury in the Super Bowl after fumbling on his only other carry. Its possible that this is just a coincidence, but it certainly can't make you feel more confident that he's going to knock this opportunity out of the park.
LOL. Last time I checked - the Colts had one of the best offenses in the NFL. They have the best QB in the NFL. And I believe Addai was taking over for a run offense that allowed Edge to be a top 5 RB for several years in a row.....I don't think Benson can catch like Edge or Addai.I don't think Grossman can throw like ManningI don't think the Bears WR's (one a converted defensive back) can catch like Harrison or Wayne - so there isn't much reason to keep defenses honest.I think Benson's situation is alot like Barlow's situation a couple years ago.
You have to put these injuries in context though. The knee injury in 2005 was gruesome--his knee was bent at nearly a 90 degree angle the wrong way, yet he only missed a handful of games. He missed some of training camp, but I don't recall him missing any games due to the shoulder injury. Who knows about the Superbowl injury, since it was the last game of the season. He hasn't missed many games and the one's he's missed weren't because of tweaks or bumps.
NFL RB has got to be the toughest position in all sports with regards to the physical toll it takes on the body. I saw an interview on Earl Campbell and that guy is in constant, gruelling pain all of the time and he walks like an 80yr old man instread of a guy in his 50's. It's got to be a combo of luck, running style and genetics as to why some RBs have long, injury-free careers, while others are constantly nagged by injury.
Similar to what I outlined above with NE and Dillon/Maroney . . .NE (Maroney/Dillon) 310 pointsIND (Addai/Rhodes) 308 pointsCHI (Jones/Benson) 272 pointsThe NE and IND duos were about 10% more productive than the Bears pairing of Jones and Benson. Current FBG staff rankings have Addai at 8, Maroney at 10, and Benson at 18.As for barlow, IIRC the Niners lost an All-Pro caliber WR, an All Pro caliber QB, a former All Pro RB, the team's #2 WR, and a couple of offensive lineman to go along with a defense that allowed almost 120 more points than the season before. I don't see the 2007 Bears mirroring the 2004 49ers very much at all. Again, I'm not endorsing Benson as a can't miss RB, but IMO he is in a situation very similar to Chester Taylor was last year (should get a lot of work and rank decently based on quantity not necessarily quality).
Wasn't Thomas Jones a top 10 pick too?IMHO Thomas Jones has been very under-rated in his career. A couple of bad seasons in Arizona have forever made people think he's not that great. He is a very solid player.
I'm tired of hearing the "he couldn't even beat out Thomas Jones" crap. Thomas is a very solid RB and did nothing that should have caused him to lose his job.
This is so far off base I cannot comment. Please explain this to me.
