Cedric Benson: 3 Bengals Replacements for RB If Suspended

It appeared that Cedric Benson had turned his life and his career around after showing up in Cincinnati.  He's had three effective seasons in the Queen City.

Now, criminal charges and jail time appear to have earned him a suspension.

It's frustrating to see a player with so much talent and then he can't keep his act together off the field.  Unfortunately, that's just how things roll in Cincinnati. 

With the suspension pending, the Bengals are going to need someone to run the football.  Bernard Scott and Cedric Peerman are there backing Benson up, but neither of them are ready for a full-time NFL job.

These three men could help fill the void that Benson will leave.

Laurence Maroney

While it's true that Maroney's numbers have diminished over the course of his career, I'm still not conviced that it's time for him to hang up the cleats.

Maroney doesn't have an NFL team in 2011, but he's shown considerable talent in previous seasons.  Is he ever going to have Adrian Peterson numbers?  Probably not, but he is a veteran running back who has been the go-to guy before.

He scored nine touchdowns in 2009 while in a Patriots uniform, and put up more than 800 yards in 2007.  It doesn't sound impressive to rush for 800 yards, but he was splitting some time and spent three games injured.  The point is, those numbers are effective.

Things didn't pan out in Denver as the Broncos had hoped.  With Cedric Benson getting ready to miss Cincinnati's next three games, Maroney provides decent speed and a lot of power out of the backfield.

With not many free agent backs remaining, this is probably going to be Cincinnati's best bet.  There's still some gas left in Maroney's tank.

Brian Westbrook

Brian Westbrook has spent an entire nine-year career being an effective runner.  Why no one wants him at this point is beyond me.

I understand that he's a bit older, but he's never had a season in which he carried for less than four yards per carry.  When you think about that over how many games are played, that's effectiveness and efficiency.

Last year, Westbrook was overshadowed in San Francisco by Frank Gore—a bad mistake by the Niners.

Now, Westbrook is available to anyone that wants him and the Bengals could possibly jump on the opportunity.  He's proven himself to be effective not just as a runner, but as a receiving threat as well.

Good running and another receiver for Andy Dalton?  Sounds like a win-win to me.

Tiki Barber

OK, so this slide may be more about wishing instead of what could actually happen, but a guy can dream right?

It's hard to say exactly what Tiki Barber has left to give to the NFL.  He's spent the last several years retired and suddenly decided to come back.  Only problem is, not many teams are expressing interest in him.

For the Bengals, the season is basically a lost one, so why not give the guy a shot?  They're a young team in need of some veteran leadership and Barber has plenty of that. 

Perhaps he isn't the best option, but he's certainly my favorite.  I'm dying for someone to give Barber a chance to shine so we can all see what he's got left.  The Bengals need him, so I hope they go get him!