A rumor recently surfaced on the TexansTalk message board that former Bears running back Cedric Benson was in the Houston area and that he was telling people that he was closest in his talks with the Texans. I've heard similar gossip from other places, and as fans are interested in this, I think it is worth discussing.(UPDATE: Adam Schefter from NFL Network is reporting that the Texans have no interest in Cedric Benson. No surprise given their emphasis on acquiring high character players, see below).
Clearly the Texans situation would be appealing to Benson. He would be close to home and playing in front of a crowd that includes Longhorn fans who may be inclined to give him another chance. Kyle Shanahan, the offensive coordinator for the Texans played (!) on the same University of Texas team as Benson.
And most importantly, the Texans have a need for better running back play. Their group of backs is still not where you want it to be for a team that aspires to dominate in the running game. Here's their current lineup:
Ahman Green - Oldish and oft injured
Chris Brown - Oft injured
Steve Slaton - Inexperienced smallish rookie
Chris Taylor - Undrafted inexperienced RB coming off of injury
Darius Walker - Undrafted inexperienced RB
Doesn't exactly inspire confidence. The best analysis of the Texans running back situation as it relates to Benson is from Keith Weiland of InTheBullseye.com (formerly of now-shuttered HoustonProFootball.com):
"And while Benson has been a flop to date as a pro, he is a former first round pick capable of running inside and falling forward for four yards a carry. If Ron Dayne can have even a modicum of success in this offense, then there is certainly some hope that Benson, freed from a historically inept offense in Chicago, might be able to finally pay dividends on his draft day expectations."It's definitely a worth reading article, if only for the discussion of the salary cap implications of cutting Ahman Green if he can't get through camp healthy.
I have no doubt that the best opportunity for Benson to try to rehabilitate his NFL career would be with the Houston Texans. The question is whether the Texans would want someone who has demonstrated questionable maturity and character in his pro and college career.
Character counts for the owner of the Texans, Bob McNair, and counts for coach Gary Kubiak. GM Rick Smith in this article written before the last draft, discussed his views on player character:
"We do exhaustive research because we realize the investment we're going to make. We gather as much information as we can on background and character. We realize that young people make mistakes. The key is do they learn from their mistakes. We believe in second chances if we think they're worthy of second chances."The Texans typically shun players who have had repeated problems with the law. It is worth noting, however, that the lockerroom situation has become a more stable one for the team, and they would be better situated to take a look at a player like Benson than in years past. If they could negotiate a low risk contract, and believe that Benson has been humbled by his experiences and is ready to focus on football (and er sensible driving habits), maybe they take a chance on him.
For those unfamiliar with the current charges against him, the following Keye.TV video is a pretty good summary. Benson denies the charges of both his Austin arrests, and obtaining convictions on those arrests may be difficult because he did not take a breathalyzer test, and that at least with the first arrest, there may be witnesses questioning the police's version of events.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-30-2008 @ 12:53PM
James Martin said...
I dunno Steph, on the one hand, if he were truly serious about a fresh start and would take a small contract he might be worth a look.
The other side of me says the Texans have shown much improvement without taking on these type of players. I beleive everyone deserves a second chance, but 2 alcohol incidents back to back make me wonder.
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6-30-2008 @ 1:05PM
Stephanie Stradley said...
James-
I think the biggest problem with the alcohol incidents is not that he is a drinker. We don't know whether he was drinking. (And putting my lawyer hat on, I really do think that these incidents won't result in convictions based on the public information). The first situation looked a little suspicious, and then any time you have an arrest record, you will be a target for further arrests because the police will look up your record when they pull you over on their in-car communications system. (though they probably recognized him immediately).
The problem that Ced has is that he has never realized what trouble he is in. That once you get a reputation for immaturity and partying, whether deserved or undeserved, you have to go out of your way not to appear like a partier. And you have to affirmatively show what a hard worker you are and how serious you are about your job.
Nice to hear from you,
Steph
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6-30-2008 @ 1:26PM
FreeBeerGuy said...
It would be nice getting a "big name" RB, even if he had some past troubles. The longhorn faithful are almost always willing to forgive their own, with 2nd, 3rd and even 4th chances. But the Texans need to make sure they structure any agreement to ensure the Benson has to "shape up and fly right" with little room for mistakes. Even as a Aggie, I think picking up Benson for a small 1 year contract might be worth the risk.
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6-30-2008 @ 4:17PM
grapevinesooner said...
And to think, Steph said this back in February:
"The Cowboys are hated because they've become one few teams who will take a shot on a questionable charactered players"
I guess if the Texans do sign Ced, we can add them to this list, too, right?
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6-30-2008 @ 4:27PM
Stephanie Stradley said...
@5-
LOL. Nah, there's enough Dallas hate for other reasons as well. But nice to see that you are paying attention. :)
-Steph
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6-30-2008 @ 4:43PM
beef said...
@grapevine: One (1) incident does not a trend make. The Texans have gone out of their way to avoid troubled players, did you read the part where Steph said that also?
That said, I don't want Benson. Let him rot. I've heard from past teammates in HS and at Texas that he's been a locker room cancer at every level he's played. This is not something I'd want our team to make the news for.
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6-30-2008 @ 11:05PM
kozanack said...
I dunno. Not that I've watched very many Bears games, but he doesn't look very quick. He also has the rap as a poor blocker. Kubiak held Taylor back because his blocking wasn't good enough. So I have to think that even if they were to sign him, Benson is a long shot.
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6-30-2008 @ 11:09PM
Stephanie Stradley said...
Kozanack-
Basically, he would be another camp body with some possible potential that didn't show up much in Chicago. You know, the whole change of scenary signing (with some baggage that would result in a discount).
Thanks all for reading and commenting,
Steph
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7-01-2008 @ 4:54PM
grapevinesooner said...
Beef,
Truth be told, I really don't care about the personnel decisions that other teams make. The consequences of signing somebody of questionable character only affects that one team team and that team only. So who am I, as a fan of another team, to pass judgment on them?
Well, I'm no position to do that because whatever damage Benson could possibly do to the Texans' locker room won't affect the Cowboys one iota.
Problem is, Stephanie's never seen things that way and rationalizes her hatred for Dallas based on Tony Romo's escapades and TO's relative silliness.
I don't have a problem with her or anybody else hating the Cowboys. In fact, I've come to accept that if you're a Houstonian, it's your God give right to hate them.
Just pick a better reason than 'I don't like the fact they sign players with questionable character.'
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7-01-2008 @ 5:03PM
chron said...
I don't see the upside. He's an underperformer with character issues. At this point, the Texans have Gibbs on board and a strong potential to bring their running game up to a higher level, which means the existing backs may well show productivity they haven't before. Given what Gibbs has brought to other teams, and the fact that Slaton was drafted with that system in mind, I think there is plenty of potential improvement available without bringing in a guy with questionable personal judgment.
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7-01-2008 @ 5:09PM
Stephanie Stradley said...
grapevinesooner-
Actually, I mostly don't like the Cowboys because more often than not, I find members of their fanbase whiny, humorless and generally unpleasant to be around. See e.g.:
http://www.imatexan.com/profiles/texans_chick/profile_blogs.asp?POST_ID=140
Now, you might be an absolutely delightful Cowboy fan of the unbraying variety. I've met a few. I don't know you personally so I can't say. Early indications are...well...unfavorable.
I think as a group Cowboy fans are only pleasant to be around other Cowboy fans. But to those of us who aren't one of your kind, y'all are pretty repulsive. Maybe you are an exception.
Most Cowboy fans I know who you can actually have a reasonable conversation with agree with my view that Cowboy fans are annoying as a group.
Sorry that you find my views discomforting,
Steph
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7-01-2008 @ 8:39PM
James Martin said...
Cowboy seasons only last one game longer than ours, that will change soon. Comparisons with the Cowboys should include the fact that Houston Owns Them.
That one game longer season statistic will end soon enough with that clown at the helm
Cowboys suck, Go Texans
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7-02-2008 @ 9:37AM
chron said...
Steph:
Proverbs 26:4 -- Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou be like him.
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7-02-2008 @ 9:58PM
jwb said...
Steph,
As a Chicago and former Austinite, I will miss Ced and wish him well with whatever is next for him. I'm not sure playing in Houston is the best thing for him. It seems like he only gets into trouble when he spends time in Austin. I think Houston is too close to his "friends" and he is more likely to have more trouble if he plays there rather than some place farther away. Ideally, there would be an NFL opportunity for him in Australia. How about the CFL?
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7-10-2008 @ 3:27PM
Austin said...
Clearly everyone should understand, just because Cedric could play College ball, doesn't mean he can play in the Pros. He has been a flop, and will remain a flop!!! Another Mac Brown recruit, that was and is a Punk from the Hood!!!
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