NFL Free Agency 2011: Why Cedric Benson Cost Himself Millions with Latest Arrest

That sound you hear is the millions of dollars free agent running back Cedric Benson is losing as it gets sucked away by a vacuum.

Benson, who has been a member of the Cincinnati Bengals for the last three seasons, was arrested Sunday morning for assault on a family member and is currently being held in Travis County (Texas) jail.

The timing couldn't be any worse for the 28-year-old from the University of Texas. The NFL lockout is days away from finally ending and the free agency period will be open for business.

Experts predict it will be one of the most frantic few days of all time in the NFL with a process that usually takes months to complete now being condensed into a week or two.

Teams that are in need of a running back will have their short-term memories squarely focused on Benson's latest incident.

This isn't the first time Benson has gotten into trouble either. He was involved in an alleged assault in Austin, Texas last summer but was never disciplined by the league.

Multiple run-ins with the law during his days as a member of the Chicago Bears ultimately led to his dismissal.

Before the news, most people expected the Bengals to re-sign the durable back that exceeded the 1,000-yard mark in each of the last two seasons. Now, with a potential suspension looming, have their plans changed?

AFC North blogger James Walker of ESPN.com discusses how the Bengals might handle the situation:

"Cincinnati wanted Benson back and was expected to give him a sizable contract extension following back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. But Benson's latest trouble might force the Bengals to rethink their strategy. If Benson is facing an early season suspension, it wouldn't make sense for Cincinnati to invest big money in the free-agent tailback. Other teams might view Benson the same way."

The Bengals are one of the few teams that aren't phased by players with character issues. But owner Mike Brown is all about getting the most bang for his buck (he is the cheapest owner in the league) and giving Benson a big contract means he expects a full season from him.

Then again, the Bengals may have just lucked out.

The market for Benson just went south by a few million dollars and he will now be cheaper. It's unclear how many teams are currently courting his services, but you can bet some of them were scared off by the events of the weekend.

Not the Bengals.

Expect Benson to stay in the orange and black for the next few years at a rate that won't be as high as it would of been if he could have controlled his temper.