Cedric Benson picking fights with Defense

[DrJ 0]

After getting drilled twice by tacklers earlier in the workout, Cedric Benson streamrolled Chris Harris while running with the ball, knocking the free safety backwards on his behind.

 

Surrounded by defensive players, the second-year running back added an exclamation point by emphatically spiking the football-much to the delight of an overflow crowd.

 

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=16305

 

Apparantly after the spike, Vasher came over and Benson pushed him. Brown and Urlacher both took exception and were yelling at him. A few minutes later, Benson and Harris were seen chatting and smiling on the sidelines.

 

I guess Benson doesn't like getting treated like a rookie too much.

[Willie McGee 0]

Benson is going to be stud.

[Ditka311 0]

While I can see the team getting upset at the youngster, I guess the good part of it is Benson showing some fire. Now, if he can take that into the season and do that against people in different jerseys then

[ricanrockers 39]

That's a step in the right direction for Benson. Without Jones, Benson's going to have to show he's the workhorse and an everydown back they drafted him for. Plus, he has to show he's got attitude out there. You can't let ANY defense push you around....even if it's your own. One thing that I didn't like reading was that he "fumbled". He had a fumbling problem last year. I hope this is not going to be an issue. I will be watching this throughout the preseason.

[tampa_fan_01 0]

That's a step in the right direction for Benson. Without Jones, Benson's going to have to show he's the workhorse and an everydown back they drafted him for. Plus, he has to show he's got attitude out there. You can't let ANY defense push you around....even if it's your own. One thing that I didn't like reading was that he "fumbled". He had a fumbling problem last year. I hope this is not going to be an issue. I will be watching this throughout the preseason.

He really never fumbled much at Texas. For some reason Ricky Williams had the same knock because of the size of his hands. I dont think this will continue to be a problem for Benson. Besides, hes playing against the NFL's best run defense every day in practice

[ricanrockers 39]

He really never fumbled much at Texas. For some reason Ricky Williams had the same knock because of the size of his hands. I dont think this will continue to be a problem for Benson. Besides, hes playing against the NFL's best run defense every day in practice

 

He fumbled twice last year against Cleveland and Baltimore. Once he fumbled, he was yanked out the game. In those games, he was giving Jones a break, but once he fumbled his day was done.

[cheetah6 0]

He fumbled twice last year against Cleveland and Baltimore. Once he fumbled, he was yanked out the game. In those games, he was giving Jones a break, but once he fumbled his day was done.

 

Benson is a much improved player from last year and he always had to fight for respect. He will be da back this year no doubt.

[texasmouth 1]

I love seeing this. I want this guy to be the back I know he can be.

 

Yes, I have manlove for Benson......

 

Maybe the Cowboys should trade for Thomas Jones, between him and Julius they may be able to get all 16 games in.

[ricanrockers 39]

I love seeing this. I want this guy to be the back I know he can be.

 

Yes, I have manlove for Benson......

 

Maybe the Cowboys should trade for Thomas Jones, between him and Julius they may be able to get all 16 games in.

 

 

I love benson too....drafted him and Arrington to be my RB3 last year. I was for hoping one of them to emerge but it never happened. This could be his year but to make him RB2...it's a risky pick.

[texasmouth 1]

I love benson too....drafted him and Arrington to be my RB3 last year. I was for hoping one of them to emerge but it never happened. This could be his year but to make him RB2...it's a risky pick.

If he actually wins the job outright, he will not disappoint you.

[ricanrockers 39]

If he actually wins the job outright, he will not disappoint you.

 

 

I suppose, if he's going to be in the backfield fulltime then I guess it would be a wise gamble. Lets see how he looks in preseason and I hope Jones stays out as long as possible to give Benson all the reps...

[swamp dog 0]

hey, it's good to see the kid sticking up for himself. maybe that's a good sign.

 

and no, i wouldn't have posted this. but it probably has some ff relevance, so go for it.

[tampa_fan_01 0]

hey, it's good to see the kid sticking up for himself. maybe that's a good sign.

 

and no, i wouldn't have posted this. but it probably has some ff relevance, so go for it.

[Chronic Husker 86]

Benson is a much improved player from last year.

 

Gawd-Damn, nothing beats pre-season.

[Frankie Valiant 0]

Maybe the Cowboys should trade for Thomas Jones, between him and Julius they may be able to get all 16 games in.

 

 

Texasmouth,

TJ finished 9th overall in the NFL last year, while starting 15 games he had: 314/1335 rushing yards.....on a side note LT started all 16 games and had: 339/1462.... thats just 25 more carries and 127 more yards!

now before anyone starts the "your crazy for comparing TJ to LT".... I was just using a top 5 RB as comparison....

 

I am not ready to jump on the Benson wagon just yet!... TJ is as tough as they come, and has only missed 3 games here in Chicago in his two year stay, and he has also played hurt!

if Grossman can stay healthy 300+ carries and 15 TD's would not be out of the question for TJ. just look at his first three games as a Bear when Groosman was under Center....

 

I guess I just have a little man love for TJ, as you do as well for Benson. and as a Bear fan I hope the best for my team, but I think the only way Benson becomes a every day starter will be because of a TJ injury!....because I highly doubt Benson can out perform him....Good luck to all the guys that draft this guy early!

[Chocolate Milk 0]

If your interested, the video of this steamroll is on chicagobears.com. Harris gets knocked back about 5 feet.

[waxg 3]

Heard on the radio here in Chicago today a lot of talk about Benson. They mentioned that he has always been a stud when given the ball. 4 Years in HS and 4 yrs in college. He always has taken away somebody's starting job because he was so good and couldn't be kept off the field.

 

I drafted him in the 6th round last year and can keep him this year giving up a 5th rounder. I am watching news everyday to decide if I will do that or keep Heath Miller giving up a 15th rounder.

[swamp dog 0]

Heard on the radio here in Chicago today a lot of talk about Benson. They mentioned that he has always been a stud when given the ball. 4 Years in HS and 4 yrs in college. He always has taken away somebody's starting job because he was so good and couldn't be kept off the field.

 

I drafted him in the 6th round last year and can keep him this year giving up a 5th rounder. I am watching news everyday to decide if I will do that or keep Heath Miller giving up a 15th rounder.

 

just a word of caution on equating high school and college success with success in the nfl. take it from someone who knows

 

that said, i'm not suggesting benson won't carry those traits over into the nfl...it's just not a gurantee.

[tampa_fan_01 0]

just a word of caution on equating high school and college success with success in the nfl. take it from someone who knows

 

that said, i'm not suggesting benson won't carry those traits over into the nfl...it's just not a gurantee.

I usually agree with Swamp, and I can see what he is saying. If I were you, i'd take Benson for a 5th. He'll be a stud.

[DrJ 0]

Looks like Benson's hit is upping the level of intensity in training camp as a whole:

 

Brian Urlacher gave Cedric Benson a couple of serious pops in team sessions, stuffing him in the middle on one play followed by a Lance Briggs move into the backfield to hit Benson before the tailback could get going. … Benson had repeated good gains running outside T John Tait on the left side. …… Benson did a superb job of holding onto a quick slant pass from Grossman despite a big hit by S Chris Harris.

 

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...-home-headlines

[swamp dog 0]

i'm not surprised the defense is tee-ing off on benson. no doubt there's a lot of support for jones--who has earned it--in the lockerroom.

[NJJoe20 0]

Unless this rift causes Benson or one of the defenders he steamrolls to get hurt, this is not good news for the rest of the NFC North.

[DrJ 0]

i'm not surprised the defense is tee-ing off on benson. no doubt there's a lot of support for jones--who has earned it--in the lockerroom.

 

There isn't anyone lobbying one way of the other from all indications. Some guys have stated that Benson needs to be smarter about the way that he speaks about teammates to the media because of some of the things he was saying last season, but there is no animosity towards him at all and the players seem to trust that Lovie will make the best decision for the team.

 

In fact, several players have been getting down on Thomas Jones because of his attitude and "injury". Ogunleye has openly fought with him before one practice session.

[Savage Beast 1]

Since some of Chicago's starting DEF players are Sooners alum, and Benson is Longhorns alum, it makes sense they are fighting. Oklahoma and Texas do not mix well on the football field.

[swamp dog 0]

There isn't anyone lobbying one way of the other from all indications. Some guys have stated that Benson needs to be smarter about the way that he speaks about teammates to the media because of some of the things he was saying last season, but there is no animosity towards him at all and the players seem to trust that Lovie will make the best decision for the team.

 

In fact, several players have been getting down on Thomas Jones because of his attitude and "injury". Ogunleye has openly fought with him before one practice session.

 

"Clearly, Jones is respected by many in the locker room – particularly on defense – something he earned from playing hurt last year and being the workhorse on an otherwise tepid offense. Meanwhile, Benson had a tarnished season with 272 rushing yards, an effort that was marred by a holdout and knee sprain that cost him six games. In the city, he lost a great deal in the court of public opinion. And inside the locker room, he earned the reputation of being a quiet guy who keeps to himself but never seems to waver in his own confidence."--charles robinson, yahoo sports.

[DrJ 0]

"Clearly, Jones is respected by many in the locker room – particularly on defense – something he earned from playing hurt last year and being the workhorse on an otherwise tepid offense. Meanwhile, Benson had a tarnished season with 272 rushing yards, an effort that was marred by a holdout and knee sprain that cost him six games. In the city, he lost a great deal in the court of public opinion. And inside the locker room, he earned the reputation of being a quiet guy who keeps to himself but never seems to waver in his own confidence."--charles robinson, yahoo sports.

 

Any direct quotes from a defensive player to support this opinion, specifically from this offseason?

[DrJ 0]

In his second season, Cedric Benson said he has learned since becoming the Bears’ No. 1 running back that not everyone is his friend. Not even his own teammates.

 

Benson wasn’t complaining, just stating an observation, which center Olin Kreutz agrees with.

 

“Everybody isn’t your friend,” Kreutz said. “I promise you not everybody likes me in that building. So that’s not something we worry about. You find your own friends. But we’re all teammates. I promise you, we all have his back.”

 

Benson took some hard shots in the Bears’ first padded practice Saturday, but the defense seemed to ease up on him Monday night. Benson considers it part of the process of becoming an NFL player.

 

He might not have won any friends when he ran over safety Chris Harris on Saturday, but he probably earned some respect.

 

“It takes a lot to earn people’s respect,” Kreutz said. “He’s doing that slowly but surely. It takes awhile for people to have trust in you, faith that you’re going to do your job, no matter who you are. I didn’t feel I bonded with guys until I was in my fifth, sixth year.”

 

Either way, Kreutz said, it’s more about getting the job done than bonding.

 

“Of course we (accept Benson), but no one is really here to be accepted,” Kreutz said. “I don’t care if no one accepts me. We’re just out here to play football.”

 

That was from a Daily Herald article by Bob Legore.

 

Bears coach Lovie Smith pointed out Monday night that respect is earned in the NFL.

If the play of the Bears' defense during Monday night's scrimmage was any indication, Cedric Benson is well on his way to earning his teammates' respect despite rather difficult circumstances.

 

"I think he's being accepted more by his teammates," Smith said. "Each day they see him come out here and they're starting to see what type of player he can be."

 

Defensive players showed Benson a little more respect in Monday night's practice. Rather than pop him with their shoulders as he broke through the line or hit him downfield near the sideline as they had done the previous two practices, they tried to stay out of his way in running drills. Tackling ball carriers to the ground is not allowed in practice to avoid injuries.

 

Charles Tillman and Chris Harris each went well out of their way to avoid hitting Benson too hard. There was only one collision between Benson and a defender—early in practice he ran into linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer with a shoulder.

 

"Nobody cares what you've done in the past," Smith said. "They're not really looking at your college stats. You have to come up here, but good players normally find a way to get accepted by their teammates.

 

"And that's what Cedric has done. We've given him the football and he's had a lot of opportunities to show what type of player he is."

 

By Bears staff writer, Gene Chamberlain.

[swamp dog 0]

Any direct quotes from a defensive player to support this opinion, specifically from this offseason?

 

hey, i didn't write it. just posting it. as with any info, take or leave it. but here's the entire article, and yes, there are direct quotes in it:

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AsGL...o&type=lgns

[DrJ 0]

hey, i didn't write it. just posting it. as with any info, take or leave it. but here's the entire article, and yes, there are direct quotes in it:

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AsGL...o&type=lgns

 

I just read the article and there isn't a single quote that suggests that the defense supports Jones, there was on quote where Urlacher shrugged off the demotions and said that you go with what the coach says.

 

Lovie was quoted as saying the hits were the result of a prideful defense, and it would have been the same with Jones out there.

 

Which quotes are you seeing that suggest the team supports Jones and not Benson?

 

I didn't say you wrote it, but you did present it as "evidence" for your previous statement. I'm just pointing out that it is an opinion piece with no direct evidence to support it. It's worth as much as any other man's opinion on the subject, really. Well, except for Lovie Smith, Ron Turner, and the Bears players - none of whom have indicated there is any lingering animosity towards Benson and have said quite the opposite.

 

It did have one direct quote that was really worth something though - Turner saying that the best man will be the one that plays. Just goes to show further that Benson is not being handed anything.