The days of running back BenJarvus-Green-Ellis being a big contributor are probably over. So too may be his days in Cincinnati.
With one year left on his deal, the 29-year-old Green-Ellis will have to hold off younger and fresher legs in James Wilder Jr., Jeff Scott, Cedric Peerman and Rex Burkhead just to earn a spot on the roster as the Bengals' third or fourth RB.
In his weekly Q & A, Bengals.com's Geoff Hobson said he thought safety/linebacker Taylor Mays had a better shot at making the final roster than Green-Ellis because of age and more depth at RB.
Mays has a much better shot at making the roster than BJGE. Hard to see them keeping more than four running backs since they’re going to keep three quarterbacks, so it I guess it comes down to Green-Ellis or Burkhead. The Law Firm’s professionalism and reliability are well documented.
But so is his age. Amazing, but BJGE and Burkhead share the same birthday five years apart. On July 2, The Firms turns 29 and Burkhead 24. That looks to be the answer.
Seems like an ominous sign that Green-Ellis' odds of making the roster aren't great. Mays' ability to play both safety and linebacker while also contributing on special teams makes him a surprisingly better choice to keep than Green-Ellis.
So long as Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard make it through the preseason healthy, it's getting harder to see the Law Firm being on the final 53-man roster.