Deja Vu: Cedric Benson Behind Bars Again

My blurb from the Rotoworld shift this morning:

Bears RB Cedric Benson was arrested early this morning and charged with drunken driving in downtown Austin, Texas.

After being stopped for a traffic violation, Benson failed a field sobriety test and subsequently refused both a breathalyzer and blood test. On the heels of Benson's BWI incident, the rogue running back may be more trouble than he's worth to the Bears. It's going to be tough to overlook the continued off the field woes of a player who has also been underwhelming on the field.

Profootballtalk.com on GM Jerry Angelo's response:

Hours after Bears running back Cedric Benson was arrested again, General Manager Jerry Angelo suggested that Benson ought to be concerned about losing his job over the matter.

“There was alcohol involved, that’s all we know,” Angelo said today, per the Chicago Tribune. “We are certainly going to take this seriously. Disappointment is too often-used word when talking about Cedric. The No. 1 lesson of every player is protect your job.”

If the Bears cut Benson (whose mug shot shows him grinning after he was arrested), their fans likely won’t mind: An unscientific poll on the Tribune’s web site shows that nearly 90 percent of respondents want the Bears to cut Benson.

Angelo also characterized the news of Benson’s arrest as “hard to believe’’ and said, “We are certainly going to take this very seriously.”

Washington Post's NFL Insider Mark Maske spoke with a couple of NFL execs:

Executives around the league are wondering about tailback Cedric Benson’s status with the Chicago Bears after his second alcohol-related arrest in recent weeks.

Benson reportedly was arrested early Saturday in Texas and charged with driving while intoxicated.

The incident comes just more than a month after Benson was charged with boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest, charges that he and associates have vehemently denied.

Two executives with other teams said today they expect the Bears to give serious consideration to releasing Benson, a former first-round draft choice whose on-field production has not reached expectations.

“You would certainly think something might happen there,” said one executive, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he would not comment publicly on the off-field issues of a player under contract to another team.

I think Benson is done. As a Chicago Bear. As a fantasy factor. As a vehicle operator.

Bears GM Jerry Angelo and head coach Lovie Smith have proven to be incredibly stubborn in their assessment of offensive talent, but this clearly gives them an "out" on Benson. Even if the rest of us could see long ago that Benson just wasn't talented, motivated, or sane enough to maintain a rushing attack in Chicago, Angelo had a lot more invested in making sure his 4th overall pick succeeded . . . especially after trading Thomas Jones while the team was still ostensibly a contender.

Now, however, Angelo can point to his precedence with Tank Williams and cut ties with Cedric Benson while attempting to save face. It wasn't that old Ced was untalented, see, it was just that we underestimated his poor decision making. In today's NFL, we can't afford to keep giving questionable characters further opportunities.

As for Matt Forte, I realize the perception will be that this is a tremendous boon for his value, but if you've been with me all along, you know I've never counted Cedric Benson's presence in Chicago as anything other than a checkmark in the positive column for Forte. There is, however, a certain measure of help in clearing up a jumbled picture for most dynasty leaguers; more importantly, Benson's arrest and possible cutting of ties could lead to Forte getting a starter's load right from the get-go.

One cautionary thought is that the Bears may go poking around for veteran replacements. A backfield of Forte, Adrian Peterson, and Garrett Wolfe would seem to be crowded enough, but if the team feels less than secure about handing over the reigns to a rookie, we could see the kicking tires routine with Kevin Jones, Shaun Alexander, LaMont Jordan, or Travis Henry.

I think we can rule out Henry as a replacement due to his own character "issues." Alexander might be the only back running with less heart and explosion than Benson, so he doesn't make sense. Jones is still recovering from ACL surgery, so there shouldn't be any confidence in him as insurance for the beginning of the '08 season. Jordan still belongs to Crazy Al's paranoid Raiders. That leaves the Bears with no obvious mercenary candidates . . . more good news for Forte, at least for now.