Hobson Conjecture: The Bengals Looking for Veteran RB
by Jason Garrison on Apr 26, 2010 9:49 PM EDT
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We all watched the Bengals, specifically Cedric Benson, run all over the competition last year for a total of 2.056 yards in the regular season (another 171 yards in their playoff game against the Jets). We all cheered, with a lump in our throats and a single tear rolling down our cheeks, as Benson took the ghost of his past as a Chicago Bear off his back, held it by the ankles and proceeded to beat the Bears defense to death with it on his way to 181 yards.
There were footprints up and down every defensive player who got in the way of the Bengals rushing attack last season, most belonged to Benson... but not all of them. Brian Leonard, Bernard Scott and Larry Johnson all added to the pain inflicted on defensive lineman and linebackers.
Leonard had some amazing plays as a third down back, helping the Bengals get first downs on some of those last minute wins and Scott filled in to give Benson a breather every once in a while and did a pretty nice job. Johnson's part was to fill in if Benson couldn't play.
Benson is a north and south runner (mostly north... actually almost all north). He doesn't try to dance around the edge to beat the ends to the corner very much, he seams much more content with bursting through the middle, plowing over defenders with his head down with steam flowing from his nostrils like a cartoon bull with anger issues. I love that about Benson and anybody who appreciates a power back loves it too. Unfortunately power backs, like Benson, don't have the longest shelf life in the NFL. Their running style shortens their career and causes them to be hurt more often than their scat back counterparts.
This may be the reason that the Bengals, according to Geoff Hobson, are looking to grab another veteran, Larry Johnsonish, running back to back Benson up.
Hobson wrote in his blog:
A veteran running back in the Larry Johnson mold who can lug it 25 times if Cedric Benson has to sit out a few games. Brian Leonard and Bernard Scott are perfect spot players, but they need a backup bellcow. Which would seem to suggest they’ll go with four running backs and one fullback.
The acquisition of a veteran running back to back up Benson would be a good move. It would put the running game in experienced hands if something was to happen to Benson. Some free agent running backs that are on the market right now are Ladell Betts, LaMont Jordan, Jamal Lewis, Adrian Peterson (no, not that one) and Ahman Green among others.
I don't see this happening tomorrow by any means but I would expect the Bengals to grab somebody suitable for the job before the preseason.
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Here is who I would like to see get signed to the team but would it happen. Ha.
Chris Brown (Formerly of Texans)
Justin Fargas (Formerly of Raiders)
Kevin Jones (Formerly of Bears)
uuuh yeah I write for the Cincinnati Enquirer. Thanks?
+1 on Kevin Jones….if that left ankle is healed up, of course….
by press1_4english on Apr 27, 2010 1:29 AM EDT up reply actions
Okay here it is.
Chris Brown (Formerly of Texans) NO
Justin Fargas (Formerly of Raiders) Yes
Kevin Jones (Formerly of Bears) NO
If you’re going to have a backup you want them to make it out of training camp healthy. Brown and Jones can barely do that. Fargas is a good back and got a raw deal in Oakland. I would sign him. There are also going to be guys that get cut, like Julius Jones in Seattle where the team moved for other RB’s and the current guys make too much money. The Bengals can sit and wait for somebody to hit the waiver wire like Benson did then pounce.
+1 on Fargas
The guy would be solid as a backup for us, and could even take 5-10 carries per game. I guessing he wants to be a starter somewhere, but I’d be happy if he came to cincy.
This is our year!
by Paul Cannon on Apr 27, 2010 10:42 AM EDT up reply actions
I love it when people talk about the Bengals pouncing.
No amount of prosperity is sufficient to eliminate all misfortune, and sloth is impervious to opportunity.
I live in Wisconsin
so I watched alot of Ahman Green in his prime. He might be a good pickup for the vet minimum—has a similar style to Benson & would probably do well running behind our O-line.
by Bengals NFL Champs on Apr 26, 2010 10:23 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Ahman Green has the hands of Dan'l Coats
But, please, god, don’t let us ever depend on Brian Leonard to actually run the ball. Why not Fui to take up the slack if Cedric needs to take a breather- with Coats as fullback?
by IgnatiusJReilly on Apr 26, 2010 11:13 PM EDT reply actions
One play that I kept looking for late last year, particularly in goal line situations, was the fake to Leonard diving up the middle then throw to him when he gets up. It’s a classic NFL play, and Leonard has good hands. He’s a power back, more or less, so it’s not like teams can just ignore the fake. Never happened though.
by indesignkat on Apr 26, 2010 11:24 PM EDT up reply actions
you may see him as our FB if Vakapuna dosnt cut it
www.fantasydaddy.com
by Joe Goodberry on Apr 27, 2010 9:12 AM EDT up reply actions
I hope that doesn’t happen. But I suppose I could live with it. As long as he isn’t the TE who drops TDs anymore.
However ...
he was exactly a terrible FB
by Heywood on Apr 27, 2010 12:26 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Rec'd
for truth
My 2010 Sports wishlist.
1. FIRE DUSTY! NOW!
2. Cavaliers Championship
3. Bengals win Super Bowl XLV
by Danimal, Destroyer of Worlds on Apr 27, 2010 2:03 PM EDT up reply actions
OMG I just realized
that everything in your sig could actually happen this year!!!
No amount of prosperity is sufficient to eliminate all misfortune, and sloth is impervious to opportunity.
for training camp depth or for a roster spot?
not sure this move makes any sense. Scott can be the backup RB. we don’t have to have a Ced clone to be successful running the ball. besides, they’ll be plenty of vets to choose from if someone does go down with an injury. i think hobby is out to lunch on this one.
Scott doesn't give me confidence as a back
He seems to have the stutter step style of running, where he waits for a hole to develop. His 100 yard game against the Raiders was one long runs and bunch of hit the line and stop. He’s a good stretch back, but don’t see him as a quality bang up back that could eat up some carries.
I once defended the managerial styles of Jerry Narron after a Reds loss in a bar after a long night of drinking. I wish I could say that I don't remember doing that.
www.nextyearisouryear.blogspot.com
Antonio Pittman
He’s available. He probably would sign cheap. He’s from Ohio (former Buckeye). He was drafted in the fourth round by the Saints back in 07. They waived him. The Bengals had interest but the Rams beat them with the wavier claim. I’m not saying he’s all pro potential but he’s young, experience, has potential and could turn out to be productive if the injury bug would hit. If doesn’t make the cut, their not out anything.
Do not want
Fumbles too much for my liking. Why do you think Beanie took his job as a true freshman?
My 2010 Sports wishlist.
1. FIRE DUSTY! NOW!
2. Cavaliers Championship
3. Bengals win Super Bowl XLV
by Danimal, Destroyer of Worlds on Apr 27, 2010 2:05 PM EDT up reply actions
Probably because Beanie is better....
what could they be looking for here? A young guy, with some potential, that will sign an inexpensive contract. Pittman is around 25, no red flags, healthy,has some experience, local (from Ohio). If they signed him to a minimum contract and doesn’t produce, they’ll cut him and they won’t be out anything.He was drafted in round 4 by the Saints, claimed on waivers by the Rams(same team that Leonard was on). He played in 07 and 08,was a casualty on the last round of cuts last year. He’s a street FA. Looking back in my 07 Sporting News their scouts had him ranked higher than MLynch. So he does have some talent. Is he looking for a job ? Is he out of shape ? I don’t know. But I think he’s worth at least a try out.
JULIUS JONES!
Can be had for a song. 5th round draft pick at most. I think he would complement Benson pretty well. Or at least as well as a pretty average RB can complement anything.
he's probably going to be released.
honestly, unless benson goes down in the preseason, i say we wait until cutdown day. it’s an uncapped year, there’s still more surprising cuts to be had.
RIP Slim.
+1
I would have liked to seen them sign LaGarrette Blounte as an UDFA but now that he’s signed I say we have the luxury to wait and see what happens on Training Camp cuts. I would still explore some of the other options people have listed here BUT we don’t have to panic and sign anyone. I guess I’m higher on Bernard Scott then some people. I think he could definitely carry the load if Benson missed a couple games. The only issue is Durability. I definitely would like to see them pick someone up but I don’t think we have to rush into it. I would like to see Scott get the carries if Benson does go down. I think he outperformed LJ last year when given the chance.
Scott is a great back.
But he doesn’t have the pure power to run between the tackles. If you are going to be a run-first team, then you need someone in there who can pound the inside 25 times a game and get 4yds/carry.
No amount of prosperity is sufficient to eliminate all misfortune, and sloth is impervious to opportunity.
4 RB's? I don't think so...
Today’s preceding articles speculate on us carrying 9 on the D-line, or 6 WR’s, or 7 LB’s, or 5 safeties, or whatever. With a 53-man limit, you can’t do it all.
I suspect we’ll go into the regular season with the same 3-man lineup as last year (barring injury). The coaching staff and MB know that if and when the injury bug strikes, that there will be some serviceable RB who didn’t make the cut of his previous team available to plug the gap for a few weeks; a little like Larry Johnson was in ’09, only without the loose cannon tweets.
+1 for practicality
That was a very level-headed, practical analysis. I say we go after M. Lynch and pay him 30 million and then sign Fargas as a backup backup…. you know, keep 5 RBs
This is our year!
by Paul Cannon on Apr 27, 2010 10:53 AM EDT up reply actions
I think we should sign all of the RB's.
All of them.
No amount of prosperity is sufficient to eliminate all misfortune, and sloth is impervious to opportunity.
brian westbrook
still could have something left. not asking him to start every week, he’d be healthy when he played..
"wherever Brad St. Louis is and Shayne Graham is about to be." -R.F. Mehl
Deshawn Wynn
is scheduled to visit the Bengals after he visits the Giants
by bengal fan from new york on Apr 27, 2010 8:02 AM EDT reply actions
Not a veteran and too late but....
I was hoping the Bengals would go after LaGarrette Blounte as an UDFA. I guess its too late but I believe he could have been very good learning from Ced and Leonard. There are options and you know that there will be veterans cut during and after Training Camp. I thought they would have looked a little closer at drafting one, but I guess the RB type they wanted just wasn’t there on any of their picks. Bernard Scott is better than some people give him credit, I just worry about his durability. As much as we run the ball, and how Cedric runs, they definitely need to look at signing another back. Would also help to keep Cedric healthy and fresh come playoffs, if we make it.
you know, not for nuthin but
why didn’t they just keep LJ? Did he really want crazy starter money? He only had a couple of games where he was on the field, so he should be as fresh as a vet can be.
LJ signed with the Redskins.....
for $12 million for 3 years. Don’t think you want to pay your number 4 RB that kind of bread.
I don't get it.
Wasn’t all the drama last year in training camp about whether or not we were going to carry 4 RB’s and a FB and how that was a luxury that was going to cost us depth at other position? Bernard Scott filled in fine for Ced in the one game he started in his place last season. We would have to change up the game plan a bit, but now that the passing game is restocked that shouldn’t be as much of an issue. I’d rather use the roster space to keep more DB’s and defensive linemen, personally. If Ced goes down for an extended period of time we’ll pretty much be in the same spot we would be in if Carson went down so c’est la vie.
Pierre Thomas - RFA from Saints (ha!)
probably not even a possibility, given the money and contracts and stuff, but I sure do love the way PT cruiser runs
if we want a big brusing RB, why not Stephon Johnson of USC or LeGarret Blount of Oregon? Both fit the mold perfectly.
Oh wait, nevermind. We didn’t offer them as UFA’s. we went after some guy from Ole Miss who carried 10 times a season. My bad.
+1
I agree. I was looking for info towards the end of the draft on LaGarrette Blounte and was disappointed to see he had already agreed to terms with the 49ers at the time. He ended up with the Titans but I believe he could really turn into a solid RB in the Pro’s. Would have fit what we were looking for in a RB with his Bruising style. Not sure they were looking for a young one or veteran, but it made sense to me. Still disapointed they didn’t get him but who knows they may have made him an offer. Also he could very easily get cut during Training Camp. Should be a few young and veteran RB’s get cut during Training Camp.
you can't say
whether we offered a contract or not. It feels like the Bengals haven’t bothered, but its impossible to know. Most of the top-tier UDFAs are contacted by several teams and they with their agent decide who is the best fit based on a mix of squad depth and money up front.
I’m pretty sure the Bengals would have given Stephon Johnson a call because he the type of RB the Bengals like, he’s from USC and he has the scraphead mentality the Bengals love. The Bengals don’t have the best facilities and that’ll put players off, plus they’ll see Benson, Scott and Leonard and feel that we have the Big back, Scat back and 3rd-down Blocker back all well covered so they’ll look elsewhere, maybe to places that the coaches promise are more open. (think about it like this: Benson 21 carries, Scott 8, Leonard 2+all those catches and there isn’t much left for the other guy).
by Sheffieldbengal on Apr 27, 2010 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions
True
Our team prestige is comparable to that of a D-II college program
My 2010 Sports wishlist.
1. FIRE DUSTY! NOW!
2. Cavaliers Championship
3. Bengals win Super Bowl XLV
by Danimal, Destroyer of Worlds on Apr 27, 2010 3:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Fargas would be best
Other than that I’d rather think a little more out of the box with guys like Wynn or Pittman than Julius, Ham on, wetbrook, Pierre , etc..hell where’s the Nigerian Nightmare when you need him?. Pro ably best to wait and see what happens. There will be many available. Fargas is decent though.
by quickslant on Apr 27, 2010 4:52 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Bengals just claimed Cedric Peerman off Waivers
Not exactly the Veteran some have been speculating on. Story on the Bengals website.
http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Bengals-claim-RB-Peerman-on-waivers/dd84e908-cbec-4435-be1e-552bb2633ea8
I think we will be fine with our same three backs from last year.
If Benson goes down or needs a rest, I’m not sure that some combination of Fui, Scott and Leonard couldn’t get the job done. That’s what the preseason is for. Find out if Fui can lug it between the tackles for 3.5-4 yards.
No amount of prosperity is sufficient to eliminate all misfortune, and sloth is impervious to opportunity.
Preseason
Need someone to carry into the preseason so the regular season starters start fresh.
Cedric will get enough reps to get comfortable and know the line play. But he doesn’t have to take a four game beating into the regular season.
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