As soon as former Texas Longhorns running back Cedric Benson ran into trouble with the law this summer, I joked that it was only a matter of time before the Bears cut him and the Bengals signed him.
Hey Mike Brown, I was only kidding.
The last couple of seasons, the Bengals have been known more for their transgressions off the field than their quality on it. Former All-SEC linebacker Odell Thurman has failed multiple drug tests and will likely never set foot on the gridiron again.
Wide receiver Chris Henry has been booked on DUI and assault charges and released and re-signed by Cincy. Linebacker A.J. Nicholson was caught stealing electronics from a teammate and went on to become a failure in the Arena League.
That's quite the rap sheet, and unfortunately for Bengals fans everywhere, it's just the tip of the iceberg.
Even more so than Carson Palmer's infamous knee injury, legal problems have hurt this team. When talented youngsters are making stupid decisions off the field and are thus rendered ineligible to play, it's going to have a negative effect on the team's results and morale.
Things got so bad that the normally reserved Palmer gave a harsh analysis of the situation in January 2007.
"It has to stop," Palmer said hours after he heard the news (of cornerback Jonathan Joseph's arrest for possession of marijuana.) "If it doesn't stop, we're not going to have any fans left and I don't blame them. It's ridiculous. We can't get through a month without getting a guy arrested. It happens on another team and they're shocked and surprised to hear about it. With us, you hear about it and it doesn't surprise you and you just shake your head and say, 'Another one.' "
- B/R Ticket Guide
The latest member of the Bengals' chain gang is running back Cedric Benson.
Benson was arrested twice this past offseason. In May, police booked him for boating under the influence and resisting arrest. Little more than a month later, Benson was picked up again for driving under the influence.
Shortly after his last arrest, Bears GM Jerry Angelo released him and said, "Cedric displayed a pattern of behavior we will not tolerate...As I said this past weekend, you have to protect your job. Everyone in this organization is held accountable for their actions."
That sort of no-nonsense attitude would be nice to see from the Bengals brass.
I can't deny that Benson is a talented football player. He won the Doak Walker award as the nation's best collegiate running back in 2004 and left the University of Texas with 5,540 rushing yards, the sixth-highest career total of all-time in college football.
What puzzles me is why Cincinnati would take a risk on a guy with some very recent legal troubles. Granted, Benson was cleared of all charges, but Cincinnati still shouldn't be so eager to associate themselves with a guy who obviously made some bad decisions.
The Bengals need to be working to repair their image off the field while they work to improve the product on it. I don't see Benson as the type of player that fulfills both needs.
What I do see is a disturbing similarity between the current Bengals and the mid-to-late-1990s Dallas Cowboys (minus the wins, of course). Michael Irvin and Nate Newton were two of the most high-profile Cowboys that had brushes with law. Irvin was accused of cocaine possession and assault, while Newton was busted twice for transporting huge amounts of marijuana, with five weeks between the two arrests.
The arrests are where the similarities end, though.
Dallas is known as a haven for players looking for a second chance. Terrell Owens was given one after leaving Philadelphia on bad terms. Tank Johnson got a second chance after his very public legal troubles in Chicago. But these players seem to have made a genuine attempt to turn their lives around.
The Bengals, on the other hand, seem to be known as the team that is stupid enough to give anybody a second chance, whether or not they want to change. They gave Odell Thurman multiple chances, and he didn't change. Chris Henry was also arrested multiple times, and they decided to re-sign him this summer.
That's why I'm worried about this Benson signing; Cincy's recent track record with troubled players is awful.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that Benson would much rather win than party, but I'm still disturbed by things at Paul Brown Stadium.
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2 months ago
Even though I know you know the answer, the correct answer to the headline for all those wondering is...drum-role please...
NO
2 months ago
Here's my issue with Benson: he is injury prone. I understand his legal troubles, but I assume innocence until proven otherwise. So far, I haven't heard whether or not he was found guilty of boating while intoxicated.
I am concerned for his propensity to get hurt. The Bears play in a punishing division, and I can't help but wonder if this was the best RB available for them.
As far as Carson, if he doesn't beg to be released, I will be shocked. He's a straight arrow, and hates off-the-field issues. Count his days...Carson is gone, and frankly, I don't blame him. With all that grueling rehab, his teammates were getting arrested or into deep doo-doo with the police, including one of his own brethren, Frostee Rucker.
I weep for Begals Nation.
Exceptionall well written, seriously. You have my respect.
from 2 months ago
Thanks, Lisa.
Benson wasn't found guilty or not guilty, his cases were dismissed. But the mere fact that he was charged should be a giant red flag. It wasn't as bad as the infamous Party Boat incident in Minnesota a few seasons back, but it's still bad.
I hope you're wrong about Carson, but my head tells me that he'll start trying to get out sooner or later. He wants to win too badly to stick around in this situation. Without the legal troubles, I believe that the Bengals would be a 9-10 win team with their offense.
from 2 months ago
I would love to see what Carson Palmer could do on a real team.
2 months ago
haha. the answer is no.
he's injury prone and not really that great as a rb. he's also got the potential to be a trouble maker.
2 months ago
only if the answer is:
I'll take locker room cancer for 1000.
2 months ago
Benson was a college wonder who never was able to prove himself in the NFL. He wasn't bad in a tandem with Thomas Jones during the 2007 super bowl run for the Bears, but when Jones was traded he couldn't carry the load and then got hurt. For the Bengals though, with an almost totally dysfunctional offense and a jail-house locker room, why not give it a try?
from 2 months ago
The Bengals need to start cleaning that locker room up if they want to win. The fans need to know that the team actually cares enough about winning to not regress to the form they showed for the better part of the 1990s.
2 months ago
...I won't mirror the above statements as they all hit the nail on the head. Here's my question; why does Dallas win with problem players, and Cincy simply implode? If you go down the lineup, Dallas has just as many knuckleheads...past, present, and future, as do the Bengles. The difference is they are Superbowl contenders seemingly every year and the Bengles are the NFL's version of the Pittsburgh Pirates (winning percentage, not character.) I won't go into a rant about role models in sports and multi-million contracts/aweful behavior because we've all heard that a thousand times...but what's up with the locker room over there? Can it really be all about ownership and drafting? I don't follow Cincy closely so any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Oh yeah, I don't expect much on the field from Benson. He would have shown something in Chicago by now if he was really an answer for anything.
from 2 months ago
Thanks for stopping by, Stephen.
I think it's because the Bengals coaching staff has little or no control over their locker room. Jerry Jones and co. seem like they run a pretty tight ship in Dallas, and are far less forgiving if a player blows their second chance. Players know that once they get to Dallas, it could well be their last chance.
The Bengals on the other hand have shown players that if they want to keep screwing up, the Bengals will keep welcoming them back.
2 months ago
Hey guys, I just posted my story about what you should really know about the Cedric Benson saga...think you will enjoy it, please check it out!
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/63986-benson-seeks-redemption-with-bengals
2 months ago
Good article, but to answer that question in a word: No.
2 months ago
HEY THINGS CANT GET ANY WORSE, IF THIS GUY GIVES US A CHANCE TO WIN GAMES I SAY LET HIM PLAY. I HAVE BEEN A FAN SINCE I WAS BORN I HAD NO CHOICE AND IN THAT TIME I HAVE SEEN SOME BAD TEAMS PUT TOGETHER BY MIKE BROWN AND THIS MIGHT BE THE WORSE. WORST CASE WE GET A ANOTHER NUMBER ONE DRAFT PICK
2 months ago
Mike Brown and his boneheaded signings are nothing new to Bengals faithful. Truth be told, this is the first time ever that I don't care what happens to the Bengals. Carson Palmer's talents have been wasted, and Mike once again proves that he doesn't care about the fans or the City of Cincinnati.
2 months ago
No way! Marvin Lewis is going to be out by Nov.....
2 months ago
Look this dude went to a high school that plays my old high school's team. He was good, but he was a punk and this kind of punk who is dumb enough to get caught drinking after being put on the watch list, is not going far in this league.
2 months ago
Yeah, this has trouble written all over it. Good article though!
2 months ago
The only hole Cedric Benson will be hitting comes at the end of a long glass pipe.
2 months ago
The fans and their inability to forgive are absolutely absurd. It may be fun to bash the guy for his off-field transgressions, but who are we to play executioner for men who've had their cases dismissed!
We place faith in the legal system, and then disregard it simply because we believe the accusations more than the facts. If the case is thrown away, it's because it was a weak one to begin with!
If he can improve the Bengals running game on a team desperately looking for any kind of POP, then why not give him a chance? Benson was a Top 5 talent. Maybe the change of scenery, and the shock of sitting at home during the first four weeks of the season while no team wanted to take a chance will work as a catalyst for him.
from 2 months ago
Angel,
Thanks for your input.
As a Bengals fan, I'm so reluctant to forgive because we've been burned so recently. I was all for giving Odell Thurman another shot because I chalked his mistakes up to youth. Same with Chris Henry. Our faith was rewarded by more arrests and suspensions.
I hope he can change his ways and be good for the Bengals, but I'm very skeptical because of their recent track record.
2 months ago
Benson was great in college, and he was supposed to be a stud in the NFL but how many times have we heard that? Joey Harrington, Alex Smith, etc. I mean these guys were great in college, but they can't cut it in the big time. Benson took himself out of the super bowl for christ sake, the guy isn't a hard worker, and not to be stereotypical to the Bengals organization but he does fit there, the surprising thing about that team is that Ocho Cinco is the one that doesn't have legal problems
from 2 months ago
Oh Joe by the way, great article I really enjoyed reading it. I look forward to more articles!!
Cheers!!
-Alex
2 months ago
Benson sucks and so do the Bungles. Cant say that Im surprised at this signing.
2 months ago
I am pretty happy with the Benson signing. He didn't have much of a chance to succeed in Chicago. If he can bring what he did in Chicago to the Bengals offense he will be successful!
from 2 months ago
He never had a chance? He was our starter in a run first offense. He had plenty of chances, and he blew them. He brings what he did in Chicago to the Bengals, then look for a non existent running game
2 months ago
the bengals running back depth is one of the best in the league. cedric is not the answer or even close. at most he could beef up the backfeild and they can use him as a blocking back or a goal line back. but the bears obviously didnt lose anything when they released benson. i personally think he just hasnt reached his full maturity as an nfl player. chris perry is probably the best option for cincy at the moment, but that is my opinion and im not expert......just close
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