Cut our losses with Benson

[Da Bears 88]

I'd like to see us cut our losses with Ced and go after Dominic Rhodes.

[Ed Hochuli 3:16]

We never will with that pay cut.

 

Don't worry though, if he performances horrible again this year then he'll be out as an un-signed FA.

[AZ54]

With what paycut? Are you talking about his cap hit? I don't see that being a deciding factor since we still have a lot of cap space available. It seems clear Ced is headed to training camp so if he gets cut there the cap hit is spread out across two years. If Ced can't beat out AP he's gone.

[ASHKUM BEAR]

With what paycut? Are you talking about his cap hit? I don't see that being a deciding factor since we still have a lot of cap space available. It seems clear Ced is headed to training camp so if he gets cut there the cap hit is spread out across two years. If Ced can't beat out AP he's gone.

 

I really don't think we will cut Benson, but Angelo has done this before with Cade. I really think if Cedric is healthy and he is capable of making all the cuts/moves as he did before, you will see him play with alot more heart and desire. Cedric has one thing on the back of his mind and that is he lost a 2 million dollar bonus over 27 freak'n yards. I'm sure he has another bonus clause that will kick in if he reaches a certain milestone of yards, so you know he will be hungry to get a least one more payday before becoming a FA. If Benson is healthy, he will produce b/c he won't want Forte taking money out of his pocket.

[chitownman]

I would be a bit hesitant with signing Rhodes at this point and time. There was something that has not been revealed that made Oakland drop him and get McFadden. Additionally the Raiders also have Justin Fargas as well which makes me wonder what Oakland was thinking as they had signed Rhodes as a FA. Something smells fishy here and I would be leary of it.

[ASHKUM BEAR]

I would be a bit hesitant with signing Rhodes at this point and time. There was something that has not been revealed that made Oakland drop him and get McFadden. Additionally the Raiders also have Justin Fargas as well which makes me wonder what Oakland was thinking as they had signed Rhodes as a FA. Something smells fishy here and I would be leary of it.

 

 

Didn't Rhodes sit out the first 4 games because of steroid abuse. Whose to say that Rhodes w/o steroids = bad NFL RB

[DrunkBomber]

I would be a bit hesitant with signing Rhodes at this point and time. There was something that has not been revealed that made Oakland drop him and get McFadden. Additionally the Raiders also have Justin Fargas as well which makes me wonder what Oakland was thinking as they had signed Rhodes as a FA. Something smells fishy here and I would be leary of it.

They also have Michael Bush.

 

However, back to the point of the thread. I can safely say that I hate Benson more than anyone but we dont really benefit from cutting him at all. Were not gonna be over the cap so it wont help us financially. Were not exactly overflowing with RB talent so its not like we have other guys lined up for the carries. We might as well see what he can do with the revamped o line since we have nothing to lose. As far as Rhodes goes, pass.

[bear trap]

They also have Michael Bush.

 

However, back to the point of the thread. I can safely say that I hate Benson more than anyone but we dont really benefit from cutting him at all. Were not gonna be over the cap so it wont help us financially. Were not exactly overflowing with RB talent so its not like we have other guys lined up for the carries. We might as well see what he can do with the revamped o line since we have nothing to lose. As far as Rhodes goes, pass.

I disagree, we really don't benefit from keeping him. The way I see it I feel wolfe is a better compliment to forte than forte is to benson. When benson's on the field it was usually a run. Then garrett goes out there and it's a pass or screen. With forte teams wouldn't know if we were running or passing and when wolfe comes in they'd still be guessing. Mainly cause we can keep forte in on second down pass plays and not have to worry about his blocking ability. Many teams knew what we were doing last year with the personnel out there. Benson does nothing for this offense but hold it back and I think that a combo of forte and wolfe could really make for a potent 1-2 punch kinda like jacobs and bradshaw from the giants. Sure jacobs I believe is bigger then forte, however teams would be kept off balance between he and wolfe. If wolfe were in it could be a run or a screen. If forte is in it could be a run or a pass or a screen as well. If we're smart we put c-bass at the bottom of the depth chart or waive him before the season. He's damaged goods and probably even slower than before. Putting him in will only result in us being transparent with our play calling.

[DrunkBomber]

I disagree, we really don't benefit from keeping him. The way I see it I feel wolfe is a better compliment to forte than forte is to benson. When benson's on the field it was usually a run. Then garrett goes out there and it's a pass or screen. With forte teams wouldn't know if we were running or passing and when wolfe comes in they'd still be guessing. Mainly cause we can keep forte in on second down pass plays and not have to worry about his blocking ability. Many teams knew what we were doing last year with the personnel out there. Benson does nothing for this offense but hold it back and I think that a combo of forte and wolfe could really make for a potent 1-2 punch kinda like jacobs and bradshaw from the giants. Sure jacobs I believe is bigger then forte, however teams would be kept off balance between he and wolfe. If wolfe were in it could be a run or a screen. If forte is in it could be a run or a pass or a screen as well. If we're smart we put c-bass at the bottom of the depth chart or waive him before the season. He's damaged goods and probably even slower than before. Putting him in will only result in us being transparent with our play calling.

Im not saying we benefit much from keeping him, its more that we dont benefit from cutting him. We dont need his roster spot as of yet and we wont be over the cap.

[nfoligno]

Why does everyone think Rhodes is worth a shit. He had a few good years w/ Indy, but his last two w/ Indy were crap. 3.0 and 3.4 ypc his last two years w/ Indy. This the offense w/ the great OL, among the best passing offenses which prevent Ds from stacking the line. Oh yea, and he was a backup. When Edge went to Az, did Indy think enough to keep him? Nope. He went to Oakland, and did what? Why again is Rhodes someone we want?

 

Kind of cracks me up how Rex gets 5 years, and now a 6th. Benson gets 3 years, one as a starter. Last year, we had absolutely no OL.

 

Hey, I don't know what we will get w/ Benson. Maybe Benson is Ron Dayne. Great college RB who simply did not translate in the NFL. But then again, maybe he is like TJ. You know, the TJ who took a while to get it going in the NFL. I don't know. What I will say is this. I see absolutely no value in dumping Benson, especially to pick up Rhodes.

 

If Benson sucks in camp, then we will likely go w/ Forte, Wolfe, AP. But I would like to see Benson in camp. While I question how much better our OL will be, I think there is no question it will be better.

 

Sorry, I just do not get it. Rex is given opportunity after opportunity. 5 years later, we still have yet to see the QB emerge, and yet we are giving him yet another chance. Benson has had one season as a starter. Just when he was starting to look good, he went down w/ injury, and now, fans say to hell w/ it. Dump him. Sorry, but if we give Rex a 6th season, I see no reason not to give Benson one more.

 

To me, this is the make or break season for several players. Rex, Benson and Bradley among them. Step up, or step out.

[bear trap]

Im not saying we benefit much from keeping him, its more that we dont benefit from cutting him. We dont need his roster spot as of yet and we wont be over the cap.

I'd rather cut him and keep hass who hasn't been given an opp.

[bear trap]

Why does everyone think Rhodes is worth a shit. He had a few good years w/ Indy, but his last two w/ Indy were crap. 3.0 and 3.4 ypc his last two years w/ Indy. This the offense w/ the great OL, among the best passing offenses which prevent Ds from stacking the line. Oh yea, and he was a backup. When Edge went to Az, did Indy think enough to keep him? Nope. He went to Oakland, and did what? Why again is Rhodes someone we want?

 

Kind of cracks me up how Rex gets 5 years, and now a 6th. Benson gets 3 years, one as a starter. Last year, we had absolutely no OL.

 

Hey, I don't know what we will get w/ Benson. Maybe Benson is Ron Dayne. Great college RB who simply did not translate in the NFL. But then again, maybe he is like TJ. You know, the TJ who took a while to get it going in the NFL. I don't know. What I will say is this. I see absolutely no value in dumping Benson, especially to pick up Rhodes.

 

If Benson sucks in camp, then we will likely go w/ Forte, Wolfe, AP. But I would like to see Benson in camp. While I question how much better our OL will be, I think there is no question it will be better.

 

Sorry, I just do not get it. Rex is given opportunity after opportunity. 5 years later, we still have yet to see the QB emerge, and yet we are giving him yet another chance. Benson has had one season as a starter. Just when he was starting to look good, he went down w/ injury, and now, fans say to hell w/ it. Dump him. Sorry, but if we give Rex a 6th season, I see no reason not to give Benson one more.

 

To me, this is the make or break season for several players. Rex, Benson and Bradley among them. Step up, or step out.

Kinda agree, but at the same time benson has suffered a ton of injuries for a "workhorse" back and at that pos. we need someone who isn't made in the mold of grossman (fragile).

[Connorbear]

Why does everyone think Rhodes is worth a shit. He had a few good years w/ Indy, but his last two w/ Indy were crap. 3.0 and 3.4 ypc his last two years w/ Indy. This the offense w/ the great OL, among the best passing offenses which prevent Ds from stacking the line. Oh yea, and he was a backup. When Edge went to Az, did Indy think enough to keep him? Nope. He went to Oakland, and did what? Why again is Rhodes someone we want?

 

Kind of cracks me up how Rex gets 5 years, and now a 6th. Benson gets 3 years, one as a starter. Last year, we had absolutely no OL.

 

Hey, I don't know what we will get w/ Benson. Maybe Benson is Ron Dayne. Great college RB who simply did not translate in the NFL. But then again, maybe he is like TJ. You know, the TJ who took a while to get it going in the NFL. I don't know. What I will say is this. I see absolutely no value in dumping Benson, especially to pick up Rhodes.

 

If Benson sucks in camp, then we will likely go w/ Forte, Wolfe, AP. But I would like to see Benson in camp. While I question how much better our OL will be, I think there is no question it will be better.

 

Sorry, I just do not get it. Rex is given opportunity after opportunity. 5 years later, we still have yet to see the QB emerge, and yet we are giving him yet another chance. Benson has had one season as a starter. Just when he was starting to look good, he went down w/ injury, and now, fans say to hell w/ it. Dump him. Sorry, but if we give Rex a 6th season, I see no reason not to give Benson one more.

 

To me, this is the make or break season for several players. Rex, Benson and Bradley among them. Step up, or step out.

I don't think Rhodes is worth a shit.

 

From a public perception perspective:

1. Rex didn't hold out; Benson did.

2. Rex has a warm personality; Benson appears to have to personality of a rock.

3. Rex had a six game period where he looked all world. Ced has looked good at times but has never really broke out.

 

Given that, I would say fans are still split heavily on Rex (you either hate him or love him. Myself as a Rex supporter am at the point that I would be perfectly content if Orton won out in camp. I would love to see the Forte signing light a fire under Ced but I really do not see it happening.

 

Peace

[LT2_3]

Im not saying we benefit much from keeping him, its more that we dont benefit from cutting him. We dont need his roster spot as of yet and we wont be over the cap.

 

FYI - releasing Benson would cost us more cap space than keeping him.

[Controlled Chaos]

I know I am in the minority, but I think Benson can get it done. He was behind an absolute horesehit line the whole fricken year. He showed he has the speed when he gets to the next level. He just rarely ever got there without having to juke and cut first. We saw his speed in the Seattle game, he blew right past the safety and that guy couldn't close the gap and catch Benson either. I don't know if he is gonna be the man, but I certainly wouldn't just cut him and not find out. He is a tough runner and behind a revamped line could be a great one. I look forward to the competition in camp...

 

[Ed Hochuli 3:16]

With what paycut? Are you talking about his cap hit? I don't see that being a deciding factor since we still have a lot of cap space available. It seems clear Ced is headed to training camp so if he gets cut there the cap hit is spread out across two years. If Ced can't beat out AP he's gone.

I meant cap hit, that's my fault.

 

My guess- Benson gets cut, AP goes to primarily ST, we sign Rhodes, Forte is our #1, and Wolfe is used like he was last year. Just a prediction...

[jason]

It's funny to me. I HATED the Benson selection. I knew TJ was good. Unfortunately, Benson was selected at #4.

 

Then TJ was released, making Benson the #1 guy. I fully supported him once he was on the field, but now as the #1, I really wanted him to succeed. He did OK the first year splitting carries. Then, last year, the Bears regressed on offense because of OL sucked so badly. And, of course, Benson did poorly.

 

So, now, it's the same thing all over again.

 

I find it funny that I'm not a Benson supporter, trying to tell everyone the guy has talent if the OL would do well. When he gets an OL, he's good. Of course, the Bears drafted a RB again, which I feel is another mistake.

 

The Bears, and in large part the Bears' fans, are like bad investors. Some times you have to give an investment time to mature, and if you try to take money out too early, then the investment doesn't pay out like it should/would if you just allowed it to do what it's supposed to do.

 

It'll happen again this year. The Bears OL will improve, and Benson will look a lot better. Then the questions will come out about why the Bears drafted a RB. And I'll sit back, hope the Bears get something for whichever RB they get rid of, and get irritated about the deja vu.

[azbearsfan]

The Bears, and in large part the Bears' fans, are like bad investors. Some times you have to give an investment time to mature, and if you try to take money out too early, then the investment doesn't pay out like it should/would if you just allowed it to do what it's supposed to do.

 

 

Great quote there. Bears fans are some of the most impatient fans there are.

[madlithuanian]

Jason,

 

I fully follow you analogy on Bears fans and investors...however...Kenny Rodgers said it best, "you gotta know when to hold 'em, WHEN TO FOLD 'EM..."

 

I think it's time to fold...

 

While Benson could improve with an improved OL and TE play...his injury issues are a major concern. While there is debate on his current injury status..there's no doubt the guy has been plagued by injuries every single season he's been with us.

 

The problem isn't drafting a RB...it's drafting the wrong one.

 

It's funny to me. I HATED the Benson selection. I knew TJ was good. Unfortunately, Benson was selected at #4.

 

Then TJ was released, making Benson the #1 guy. I fully supported him once he was on the field, but now as the #1, I really wanted him to succeed. He did OK the first year splitting carries. Then, last year, the Bears regressed on offense because of OL sucked so badly. And, of course, Benson did poorly.

 

So, now, it's the same thing all over again.

 

I find it funny that I'm not a Benson supporter, trying to tell everyone the guy has talent if the OL would do well. When he gets an OL, he's good. Of course, the Bears drafted a RB again, which I feel is another mistake.

 

The Bears, and in large part the Bears' fans, are like bad investors. Some times you have to give an investment time to mature, and if you try to take money out too early, then the investment doesn't pay out like it should/would if you just allowed it to do what it's supposed to do.

 

It'll happen again this year. The Bears OL will improve, and Benson will look a lot better. Then the questions will come out about why the Bears drafted a RB. And I'll sit back, hope the Bears get something for whichever RB they get rid of, and get irritated about the deja vu.

[jason]

Jason,

 

I fully follow you analogy on Bears fans and investors...however...Kenny Rodgers said it best, "you gotta know when to hold 'em, WHEN TO FOLD 'EM..."

 

I think it's time to fold...

 

While Benson could improve with an improved OL and TE play...his injury issues are a major concern. While there is debate on his current injury status..there's no doubt the guy has been plagued by injuries every single season he's been with us.

 

The problem isn't drafting a RB...it's drafting the wrong one.

 

Personally, I trust sound financial analysis over witticisms from Kenny friggin Rogers.

 

To cut losses now is just plain stupid. It costs more to cut him than it does to keep him. And that's not even taking into account the fact that the kid still has a lot of upside and talent, and if the OL doesn't stink to high heavens, then he trucks people in the secondary.

[ChileBear]

Personally, I trust sound financial analysis over witticisms from Kenny friggin Rogers.

 

To cut losses now is just plain stupid. It costs more to cut him than it does to keep him. And that's not even taking into account the fact that the kid still has a lot of upside and talent, and if the OL doesn't stink to high heavens, then he trucks people in the secondary.

Clearly, this is Benson's year to either become the no. 1 RB or say goodbye at the end of the season. Maybe he can't recover from the season-ending injury. I just don't know. And yes, I expect the OL to be better--hell, could it be any worse? That alone should help improve the running game. So it's all up to Ced now.

[madlithuanian]

Touche...

 

Given that I work in finance I know all too well all the theories...but at the end of the day investing is just legalized gambling. Feel free to bash goold ol' Kenny all you want... But it's sound logic regardless of how you prefer to spin it and belittle my comments.

 

Cutting losses now is not stupid. It makes financial sense. To go to your beloved financial alnaogy...do you hold onto a stock you know will probably bottom out, or sell while you can still get some money for it?

 

Man, I'd like to know who you've been watching...because one or two good plays from him does not make a career. Yes, can we all agree that the OL stunk. That dead horse has been flogged so many times George Romero has passed on doing the 9th "Night of the Living Dead O-Line" sequel... I do not see a body of work from him that makes me optimistic. Apparently you do...and if that's your sotry, and you're sticking to it. then more power to you.

 

I am not saying cut/trade...I am saying it's worth looking into. Right now there is probably an interested suitor. If and when he sucks again or shows his injuries, interest may bottom out. Sure, he could be the next Earl Campbel. Well...no he won't be the next Campbell. He is not that good. Never will be. I feel very confident in that.

 

Personally, I trust sound financial analysis over witticisms from Kenny friggin Rogers.

 

To cut losses now is just plain stupid. It costs more to cut him than it does to keep him. And that's not even taking into account the fact that the kid still has a lot of upside and talent, and if the OL doesn't stink to high heavens, then he trucks people in the secondary.

[madlithuanian]

Chile,

 

I'm impressed with your optimisim! I am personally tired of giving these bums a plethora of chances...

 

Clearly, this is Benson's year to either become the no. 1 RB or say goodbye at the end of the season. Maybe he can't recover from the season-ending injury. I just don't know. And yes, I expect the OL to be better--hell, could it be any worse? That alone should help improve the running game. So it's all up to Ced now.

[jason]

Touche...

 

Given that I work in finance I know all too well all the theories...but at the end of the day investing is just legalized gambling. Feel free to bash goold ol' Kenny all you want... But it's sound logic regardless of how you prefer to spin it and belittle my comments.

 

Cutting losses now is not stupid. It makes financial sense. To go to your beloved financial alnaogy...do you hold onto a stock you know will probably bottom out, or sell while you can still get some money for it?

 

Man, I'd like to know who you've been watching...because one or two good plays from him does not make a career. Yes, can we all agree that the OL stunk. That dead horse has been flogged so many times George Romero has passed on doing the 9th "Night of the Living Dead O-Line" sequel... I do not see a body of work from him that makes me optimistic. Apparently you do...and if that's your sotry, and you're sticking to it. then more power to you.

 

I am not saying cut/trade...I am saying it's worth looking into. Right now there is probably an interested suitor. If and when he sucks again or shows his injuries, interest may bottom out. Sure, he could be the next Earl Campbel. Well...no he won't be the next Campbell. He is not that good. Never will be. I feel very confident in that.

 

To take the finances a bit further, I think your analogy is off. Benson isn't a stock that will bottom out and cost the Bears more money; the money spent on him is already locked up. At this point he's like an equite index annuity. There's not an overly great chance at a big return, but there is no real worry of loss either. It's either great upside or meager returns from a safe floor.

 

As for my belief in him, that's a different issue. I am not really a Benson fan, never have been. But I'm all for what makes the Bears better, and once TJ was let go, I jumped on board the Benson bandwagon. I saw enough glimpses in on-off time two years ago to know that he's got talent. I remember watching the N.O. game thinking, "Wow, this kid might be really good." But he split time with TJ and ran behind a garbage OL the next year. I'd just like to see what he can do as the #1 RB when the Bears OL doesn't stink, a chance he didn't get last year.

 

No offense to Kenny Rogers.

[ChileBear]

Chile,

 

I'm impressed with your optimisim! I am personally tired of giving these bums a plethora of chances...

But if we cut him lose, we still pay for it. They're going to let him earn his money this season and hopefylly the guy does it. If we cut him, the money is still tied up, so what can we do? Potential is a nasty word, but it's what we're hoping for with the bum!