Benson should get more carries in ‘06

By J.E.  |   Monday, April 10, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Chicago Bears
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Cedric Benson's rookie year didn't play out the way either he or the Chicago Bears hoped it would. After missing all of training camp due to a contract dispute, Benson had a tough time learning the playbook and catching up with his teammates. So instead of becoming the featured back in Chicago's run-intensive offense, Benson spent most of the season on the sidelines watching Thomas Jones put up solid numbers week after week.

But the former first-round draft pick is hoping all of that will change in 2006.

Benson did get some touches last year, and the Chicago Bears coaching staff liked what they saw when he was out on the field. The 5-foot-11, 220-pound ex-Longhorn standout showed flashes of the power and quickness that he routinely displayed throughout his college career.

Benson appeared in nine games for Chicago and rushed for 272 yards on 67 carries. His best game of the season came in Week 9 against the New Orleans Saints. After Jones was knocked out of the game with bruised ribs, Benson got the call. He gained 79 yards on 14 carries, and had a key 27-yard run that set up Chicago's winning field goal on the last drive of the game. Jones would miss the next week against the 49ers as well, but Benson ended up spraining his MCL in that contest. He eventually had to sit out the next six games, which allowed fellow backup Adrian Peterson to also get into the mix.

Benson should be completely healthy going into training camp, and will take a shot at winning the starting job away from Jones sometime during the preseason. But even if he doesn't knock Jones from the top of the depth chart, Benson should see significantly more carries this year. That's because the Bears will have either Rex Grossman or Brian Griese at quarterback, which instantly turns them into a two-dimensional team. Last year, the only way the Bears could move the ball was by handing off to Jones. This year, they should be able to pass a lot more, meaning that they won't have to rely solely on Jones and can afford to give Benson his carries.

The Chicago Bears have a notorious track record of watching their first-round draft picks turn into NFL busts. In order for Benson to buck that trend, he's going to have to make the most of his chances this season. If he can churn out positive yardage, hold onto the football, and improve his receiving skills, then he'll likely become a fixture on the field. But if he can't stay healthy or if he has problems coughing up the ball, then look for him to go the way of Rashaan Salaam and Curtis Enis. Either way, Benson's second year in the NFL will go a long way towards determining just what kind of professional ballplayer he can be.
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