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      Cedric Benson, the Bengals, and a new contract

      June 21, 2010 /

      Thus far, the relationship between Cedric Benson and the Cincinnati Bengals has been picture perfect. Both were desperate at the time they started dating, but a bond has developed between the two through that desperation, and now the couple is on the verge of a long-term commitment.

      But before the Bengals proceed any further, they should keep in mind what Benson did to his former lover.

      Roughly five hours and 300 miles down the road in a small city called Chicago lies the remains of Benson’s previous NFL relationship. The Bears made him the fourth overall pick in the 2005 draft and what followed was tears, heartache and embarrassment.

      Granted, a lot has changed since Benson and the Bears parted ways in 2008. He cleaned up his act and then managed to rush for 747 yards and two touchdowns in limited action for Cincinnati in the ‘08. He followed up that campaign with a career year last season, rushing for 1,251 yards and six touchdowns on 301 carries (4.2 YPC).

      Now Benson wants a new contract. He isn’t demanding one, but with his current deal set to expire at the end of the 2010 season, he would like some financial security from the Bengals, who are entertaining the idea of giving him a long-term extension.

      But before they do, they should keep in mind that history often has a way of repeating itself. The Bears paid Benson handsomely in ’05 after making him a top 5 pick and he thanked them with his Curtis Enis-type production on the field and Pacman Jones-esqe behavior off it. That doesn’t mean he hasn’t changed or that he’ll make fools out of the Bengals too, but let’s keep in mind that he’s only rushed for over 1,000 yards once in his career.

      All the reports out of Cincinnati this offseason have been positive about Benson, who is only 27 and has little wear and tear on his threads. But giving him a contract extension now without having him prove himself for one more year is a risky proposition. I realize the Bengals want to reap the rewards of giving him a second chance, but he has to come to grips that his shaky past doesn’t lend for a lot trust between him and any team – not even the one that he has helped.

      If he proves himself this season, then the Bengals can drop to a knee. Until then, Cincy might want to proceed with caution.


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      External Sports, NFL

      Chris Bosh wants to be ‘the man’

      June 21, 2010 /

      Last week, Bosh informed us that he wasn’t about to wait for LeBron James to make up his mind, and now he’s reiterating his wish to be ‘the man’ for whatever team he plays for next season.

      Chris Bosh isn’t waiting for some summit to determine his landing spot next season. The soon-to-be Toronto Raptors free agent is determined to chart his own course and forge his own identity apart from the star-studded field of peers also entering the open market.

      “I don’t want to be mentioned as an addition to a team,” Bosh said prior to the season . “I want to be mentioned as the guy that people want to center their team around.”

      “I’m not an addition. I’m a centerpiece,” he said. “I have to have that confidence in myself, and I want people to know that, because I’m not somebody that helps out. I’m the guy you get like, ‘Yo, we’re going to win a championship, you’re gonna take us there.’

      “I want to hold onto that because I think every kid when they dream about playing basketball, they don’t dream about being a role player. They dream about being the man. I have that position in Toronto and to give that up and go somewhere else to be an addition would kinda defeat the purpose of my dreams.”

      That’s still pretty nebulous, but we can read the tea leaves a little bit.

      The fact that he doesn’t want to be mentioned as an addition to a team leads me to believe that he won’t join Dwyane Wade in Miami or LeBron in Cleveland. If he does end up playing with one of those two, it would probably be in New York or New Jersey, where the franchises are basically starting over and can build around him (and LeBron/Wade).

      It would also seem to eliminate the Thunder and Lakers from contention, since he’d be seen as an “addition” to teams that already had established stars (Kevin Durant, Kobe). We could also potentially cross off the Bulls, since they already have a budding star in Derrick Rose (though Bosh would be an ideal fit there).

      Perhaps the Knicks or Nets could persuade both Joe Johnson and Bosh to sign, since Bosh wants to be ‘the man,’ while Johnson doesn’t seem to crave that title.

      Is it July 1 yet?


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      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Why the Titans have a leg up in the Chris Johnson holdout

      June 21, 2010 /

      There doesn’t appear to be a quick resolution to the Chris Johnson holdout situation in Tennessee. He doesn’t want to play this season for the $550,000 he’s scheduled to make and recent reports indicate that he wants $30 to 40 million guaranteed.

      The Titans’ stance is simple: They don’t want to negotiate a player’s contract after only two seasons. That includes any player, even one has valuable as Johnson.

      According to ESPN.com, the Titans have a good reason not to cave into Johnson’s demands:

      There’s an interesting angle to Johnson’s case, and it applies to any of the potential training camp holdouts this summer; namely, the 30 day rule. [Ed. note: Someone in the league office must love the number 30, given the 30 percent rule in effect this offseason as well]. The 30 day rule essentially forces holdouts back into camp 30 days before the first game of the regular season (Sept. 9 when the New Orleans Saints host the Minnesota Vikings), which this year works out to Aug. 10. If the player is not back with their team by that date, they lose a year of service, which may affect their free agency status depending on what happens with the new collective bargaining agreement.

      Given how productive he’s been in his first two seasons, I don’t blame Johnson for demanding more money. That said, I think I side with the Titans at this juncture.

      Let’s say they give into Johnson’s demands and re-work his contract. Let’s even say that they give him $40 million guaranteed; will he eventually ask for more money in a couple of years if he continues to play well?

      In the current landscape of the NFL, free agents make the most money and that’s often regardless of whether or not they’re the best at their position. Johnson wants to be the highest paid running back in the league, but even if the Titans honor his wishes, he likely won’t be the highest paid within two years. Then what happens? He asks for another raise? I know this is a hypothetical, but it’s something that the Titans have to think about.

      I think Johnson deserves a raise, but if you step into the Titans’ shoes, it’s hard to fault them for bulking on the idea of paying him now. Generally speaking, teams don’t even consider re-working a player’s contract until after they’ve been in the league for three years. Johnson is one year early on his contract demands.

      Of course, no player did what Johnson did in his second year either, making this situation incredibly tricky for both parties.

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      External Sports, NFL

      Is LaDainian Tomlinson done?

      June 21, 2010 /

      There seems to be two schools of thought on LaDainian Tomlinson at this point in his career: You either fall into the category that believes he has nothing left in the tank, or you think his declining production is in direct correlation to the Chargers’ poor run blocking over the past couple of years.

      At least one NFL general manager “with multiple Super Bowl rings” falls into the latter of the two categories.

      From the New York Post:

      “If you watch the films from the end of last year, the guy had nothing left,” a general manager with multiple Super Bowl rings said last week. “It’s not a knock on him personally. All those carries are going to catch up to anyone.”

      The above quote comes from one of New York Post columnist Bart Hubbuch’s most recent columns. Hubbuch also writes that, “it didn’t take a grizzled NFL scout to notice in the Jets’ recent workouts that Tomlinson just doesn’t look like the same player who terrified opposing defenses with his slippery moves and sublime hands for nine seasons with the Chargers.”

      Well, no kidding. LT will turn 31 in a couple of days and it’s not like the Chargers limited his carries earlier in his career. He was their workhorse for the better part of nine seasons and there’s certainly a lot of wear and tear on those tires.

      The question is, can he still be productive? In a two-back system, I think the answer is yes, especially consider that the Jets have a better O-line than the Chargers, although the loss of Alan Faneca certainly hurts. Assuming the Jets keep all of their backs fresh, LT can still be a valuable piece.

      That said, I highly doubt we’re going to see a resurgence here. Again, he’s on the wrong side of 30 and has been slowing down over the past two seasons. I still think he can be effective, but he might not come close to the 730 yards and 12 touchdowns that he produced last season. That doesn’t mean he can’t be a nice complement to Shonn Greene in New York’s running game.

      I think it’s a little early to stick a fork in him this season.


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      External Sports, NFL

      Panthers’ Steve Smith breaks arm while playing flag football

      June 21, 2010 /

      Panthers’ wideout Steve Smith broke his arm while playing in a flag football game at his annual youth camp over the weekend. It was the same arm that he broke last season against the Giants.

      According to the Charlotte Observer, Smith has already undergone surgery and will likely miss all of training camp, although he’s expected to be healthy by Week 1 of the regular season.

      “Steve has talked to me and feels terrible about it,” says Panthers General Manager Marty Hurney. “Now his focus is on the rehabilitating process and getting back as quickly as he can.”

      While the situation is certainly unfortunate, it’s hard to fault an athlete for injuring himself while doing something good for the community. It was a freak accident.

      Someone that could benefit from Smith not being able to practice is promising rookie Armanti Edwards, who was taken in the third round of April’s draft. The former Appalachian State quarterback has impressed Carolina’s coaching staff in OTAs this offseason and could earn more playing time in the Panthers’ offense if he continues to turn heads in training camp and during the preseason.

      Update: Check that, the Charlotte Observer is now reporting that Smith was actually playing flag football in an adult league – not at a youth camp. Rut-oh.


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      External Sports, NFL

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