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Cedric Benson

D

DRIFTAWAY

Rookie
Due to his workouts, it seems as if Benson might fall to #13, and it is becoming more and more apparent that the Texans might indeed draft Benson, so what are all of your opinions on if we draft Benson?

Do you take Benson over Williamson,Thomas Davis, or Pac-Man Jones.
 
I would take Benson over any player in the first rounder other than DJ, Ronnie Brown, or Braylon Edwards.

if he falls to 13 i think we should jump on him... quickly.. before someone offers us a trade that we cant refuse.

Benson be the PERFECT starting RB for us.. His style of running would compliment DD greatly.. he has durability.. he has good size.. he would basicly solve our RB problems. I love DD and I think.. if everything comes together right.. he could be a very effective RB for us. But Benson I think could come in right now and be a deciding factor in games.. something that I dont trust DD to do.

On top of that.. if he becomes a star, it will improve our fanbase here in Texas... and you know the FO wants to take as much of the texas fanbase from Dallas as they can.
 
Lots of folks are high on Benson, but I am not. IMO, he will be to slow for the next level and wind up much like Dane in NY. He does have more ability than Dane to slide by a tackler, but still seems to slow. If we pick him, then obviously I hope I am proven very wrong. I like the idea of a power back, just don't think Cedric is what I would want.
 
DRIFTAWAY said:
Do you take Benson over Williamson,Thomas Davis, or Pac-Man Jones.
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Yes, Hell yes (why are you even asking that), and Yes...I think Benson would be the perfect RB for our scheme...He has better cutback ability than Davis and runs with more power...He'd be great in our zone-blocking scheme...
 
edo783 said:
Lots of folks are high on Benson, but I am not. IMO, he will be to slow for the next level and wind up much like Dane in NY. He does have more ability than Dane to slide by a tackler, but still seems to slow. If we pick him, then obviously I hope I am proven very wrong. I like the idea of a power back, just don't think Cedric is what I would want.
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I am obviously biased, but I think that is a horrible comparison. I would put benson as more of a jerome bettis type back in his prime at my highest expectation. And at the worst, I think he will be a duce staley type back. He is no Ron Dayne, their styles of running is completely different.
 
I would compare him perhaps to Edge? A back that has decent speed, has great vision and instincst and who, in a zone bocking scheme could be great at picking out the holes. Also has the ability to run over and slide off of defenders. I never really saw Edge break any 60-70 yard runs but would just pound it, get 10 here, 7, 15, rack up the yards, i think Benson will be similar.
 
I completely object to drafting Benson. Its not because he isn't a good back but we HAVE to draft where we are weak. We have a solid rb that has had short comings because of the line in front of him. We need to address weaker positions like the secondary and the line.
 
Just cause I found it interesting.. in this months issue of SportingNews.. they compare the top 4 running backs to an existing NFL running back.


"According to War Room scouts, who grade and analyze more than 300 prospects in the Sporting News Pro Football Draft Guide, running back is the strongest position in the 2005 draft, earning a grade of A-minus"


Cedric Benson -8.8- Steven Davis "Has the Size, Power, Quickness and Speed to carry the load as an NFL starter."

Ronnie Brown -8.7- LaDainian Tomlinson "Plays with a mean streak and is physical at the point of attack"

Carnell Williams -8.6- Priest Holmes "Has everything a back needs, from power and toughness to vision and patience"

Ciatrick Fason -8.1- Deuce McAllister "Must become more physical but is an outstanding athlete with top-end speed"

and at the bottom it says

"prospects graded from 8.0 to 9.0 are considered potential franchise players"
 
If I had to pick between Benson and Pac Man it would be hard...with the Texans plans, and our hopes they wont have a high pick like this for a long time....so I think the better value at 13 would be Pac Man...as a good RB is easier to find after round 1...Pac Man and Dunta for years to come could be scary....on the other hand, Cedric is a game breaker..strong runner...durable.....very tough call but we dont get paid to make the decisions....so we have to hope the ppl in charge make the right decision long term...
 
I find if funny that the rating scale 2 posts above has the Stephen Davis type ranked higher than a Tomlinson or Holmes type. Holmes and Tomlinson are obviously in a class above Davis. Not saying Davis isnt(well wasnt) a good back but it seems like small and quick backs are becoming the norm in the nfl and the big stephen davis/eddie george backs are becoming a thing of the past
 
edo783 said:
Lots of folks are high on Benson, but I am not. IMO, he will be to slow for the next level and wind up much like Dane in NY. He does have more ability than Dane to slide by a tackler, but still seems to slow. If we pick him, then obviously I hope I am proven very wrong. I like the idea of a power back, just don't think Cedric is what I would want.
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with 4.5 speed he's faster than DD. My big problem with making him a high pick is that he has a LOT wear on the tires. He could be a risk for a major injury in a year or 2.
 
Nah.. Stephen Davis was injured last year, and so was whats his name.. the big back for the Ravens. The year before, they owned the league. And this year, Duce Staley and Jerome Bettis owned the league. And Tomlinson isnt that small really.


Big backs are still the preference in the league.. but people are finding ways to make small backs work.. since finding that perfect RB isnt easy.
 
I just have this feeling, that we are going to trade down instead of draft Benson. I think we are gonna stockpile low 1 and Hi 2 round picks and shore up the defense and O line.
 
We could trade down 1 or two spots and get a 2 round pick. I believe it happened last year. Why would you say low 1st round. I would rather pass up Benson at 13 and trade down to 15-19 to get a 2nd round pick next year (believed to be a stronger year) and still have a good pick in the 2nd this year.
 
Well, I think a trade offer would have to be pretty damn attractive to persuade us it wasn't worth taking Benson, but then I think some pretty damn attractive offers might come in. For those of you saying "Why bother when we have Davis?", answer me this: do you think Buffalo fans regret taking McGahee when they already had Henry?
 
Mr Shush said:
Well, I think a trade offer would have to be pretty damn attractive to persuade us it wasn't worth taking Benson, but then I think some pretty damn attractive offers might come in.
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Trade offers from where? Take a look at the teams drafting behind the Texans and tell me who would trade up for Benson? Maybe the Jets to groom behind Curtis Martin? Or the Steelers to groom behind Bettis? Would the Texans want to move down that far in the 1st? Unless a team like Arizona reaches for a RB, I can see Benson taking a precipitous drop well into the 1st round.
 
Benson will not fall past 10 there is no way. I refuse to believe it. You cannot overlook his production. I look at him going to Cardinals at eight. Only if Chicago passes on him. I dont think the Bucs take Caddy and he will fall farther than anyone expects, probably to the mid-first round.
 
Holden135 said:
but we HAVE to draft where we are weak. .
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Not True , the Texans NEED to take the best available prospect not taking position into considertation (other than QB) . You dont pass up a player who is obviously a better prospect and reach at another position just because you have more need there in the first thru 4th rounds . Doing this you pass up on more talented players and tend to overpay for those whom you made the "Reach" for. This leads to cap problems not to mention lack of talent.
 
corrosion said:
Not True , the Texans NEED to take the best available prospect not taking position into considertation (other than QB) . You dont pass up a player who is obviously a better prospect and reach at another position just because you have more need there...
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I can buy that. But what makes Benson an obviously better prospect than other players that could be available at #13 (who play positions the Texans need more)?
 
Not everyone was impressed by Benson's workout:

In a scene that looks eerily similar to the swoon by Kevin Jones last season, Texas' Cedric Benson suffered through one of this offseason's most damaging predraft workouts Wednesday.

Despite working out in the familiar surroundings of the Longhorns' practice field, Benson posted 40-yard dashes in the 4.6- to 4.65-second range and struggled during pass-catching drills. It's clearly a stumble for a player who chose not to work out at the scouting combine, then sat idly as Auburn running backs Ronnie Brown and Carnell Williams posted superb workouts. Benson was expected to offer something in the 4.45 to 4.5 range.

"It was rough, but he plays better than he looked," said a scout who watched Benson, along with "60 to 70" other team representatives. "Nobody came here expecting to be blown away, but it wasn't a good day for him."

One comparison the scout drew was last year's performance by Jones, the former Virginia Tech running back who was expected to run around a 4.4 in the 40. Jones surprised everyone by running around 4.6, and his stock dropped dramatically.

Originally thought to be drafted between 15th and 20th overall, Jones slid all the way to Detroit at No. 30 behind Oregon State's Steven Jackson and Michigan's Chris Perry. He was the only one of that threesome to rush for 1,000 yards as a rookie, finishing with 1,133.

"There's a little bit of a difference because (Jones) was expected to be really fast, and Cedric Benson is clearly a power back," the scout said. "You can't erase what he did in college in one bad day, but of course it is going to be a factor."
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Link
 
If we take a guy like Benson at the 13 spot we need to look to make a draft day trade for someone we would like better and then send him to whatever team takes.
 
The perfect trade partner for us (not necessarily for if Benson falls) is New Orleans...They want a CB or Thomas Davis and if Pac-Man or Antrel falls, they may want to trade up...They own the 16th and 40th overall picks, so as far as teams behind us, they appear to be the most enticing...
 
Lucky said:
Trade offers from where? Take a look at the teams drafting behind the Texans and tell me who would trade up for Benson? Maybe the Jets to groom behind Curtis Martin? Or the Steelers to groom behind Bettis? Would the Texans want to move down that far in the 1st? Unless a team like Arizona reaches for a RB, I can see Benson taking a precipitous drop well into the 1st round.
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I think the Panthers may trade up to 11 or 12 to take him...Stephen Davis may not be back and DeShaun Foster is oft-injured, so they need someone who can carry the load of their power running game...If they trade with us, we'd probably only be able to get an extra 3rd rounder, but that's not bad for dropping one spot...
 
D-ReK said:
I think the Panthers may trade up to 11 or 12 to take him...
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Why wouldn't Carolina just sit tight at #14. There's no danger of Dallas or San Diego taking Benson. The Texans aren't drafting him after that workout. If Carolina wants Benson (which I doubt), he should be available at #14.
 
D-ReK said:
The perfect trade partner for us (not necessarily for if Benson falls) is New Orleans...They want a CB or Thomas Davis and if Pac-Man or Antrel falls, they may want to trade up...
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I think there is actually a good chance of a team trying to move up for a defensive prospect. I agree with Lucky that teams wont move up to 13 to get Benson, but some great defensive prospects will be available and many teams behind us need major defensive help. New Orleans, Kansas City, Green Bay, Cincinatti, St. Louis, Dallas, Denver, and Minnesota. I think if we wanted to, we could probably trade down.
 
Lucky said:
Why wouldn't Carolina just sit tight at #14. There's no danger of Dallas or San Diego taking Benson. The Texans aren't drafting him after that workout. If Carolina wants Benson (which I doubt), he should be available at #14.
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I think you may be putting too much emphasis on his workout and not enough emphasis on the fact that Benson is a player, not a workout warrior...I still think that Benson would be the perfect back for us, and Carolina may feel that we'd take him, so they might move ahead of us to ensure they get him...
 
Lucky said:
The Texans aren't drafting him after that workout. If Carolina wants Benson (which I doubt), he should be available at #14.
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What makes you think the Texans wouldnt get a back like Benson? Because he had a bad workout? I guess that 4 years of ripping up the field isnt enough...

The only reason I never lobby for him, is that I dont think he will drop to #13.
 
D-ReK said:
I think you may be putting too much emphasis on his workout and not enough emphasis on the fact that Benson is a player, not a workout warrior...
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I'm not putting too much emphasis on the workout. I never liked Benson as a high draft pick. For a "power back" Benson is undersized. When I think of power backs, 235-240 lbs RBs like Eddie George or Stephan Davis come to mind. That's not Benson. He had a great O-line that blew open holes against Rice & North Texas, but looked very average when playing teams with NFL type talent like OU or Michigan. I don't see anything "special" about Benson.

As far as the emphasis the Texans place on workouts, it should be noted that AJ, Dunta, & Babin all had great workouts at the combine or their pro day. Would they disregard Benson's sub par performance and take him in the 1st? History says no. Not to mention Benson's run ins with the law over marijuana and breaking & entering. Benson -too many questions, too much baggage.
 
3 years in high school - 3 straight State Championships (15 TDs in the 3 title games)
4 years in college - Finished as the 5th all-time leading rusher

One way or another, the guy produces. He'll continue to do so at the next level. I don't consider him to be a better prospect than Brown (but I would rate him over Williams) based on potential. But I do think he'll be a better player than either of them.
 
Lucky said:
I'm not putting too much emphasis on the workout. I never liked Benson as a high draft pick. For a "power back" Benson is undersized. When I think of power backs, 235-240 lbs RBs like Eddie George or Stephan Davis come to mind. That's not Benson. He had a great O-line that blew open holes against Rice & North Texas, but looked very average when playing teams with NFL type talent like OU or Michigan. I don't see anything "special" about Benson.
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Benson is only 8 pounds lighter than Davis and 13 pounds lighter than George...He has a lower center of gravity than both of them, is better at cutting back, and has better acceleration...If you're so concerned about weight, he can gain 8 pounds before the season starts...Oh, and FYI Benson was playing injured during the Michigan game, so of course he didn't completely dominate them...

Lucky said:
As far as the emphasis the Texans place on workouts, it should be noted that AJ, Dunta, & Babin all had great workouts at the combine or their pro day. Would they disregard Benson's sub par performance and take him in the 1st? History says no. Not to mention Benson's run ins with the law over marijuana and breaking & entering. Benson -too many questions, too much baggage.
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True AJ, D-Rob, and Babin all had good workouts, but do you honestly think if a guy like Roy Williams had a bad workout and slipped to 10 that we wouldn't have taken him over Dunta? It's also hard to tell whether or not the organization is placing the emphasis on workouts or track record, because AJ dominated at Miami, Dunta dominated at South Carolina, and Babin dominated (30 sacks in 2 years) at Western Michigan...Benson's legal history is the only forseeable thing that I could see stopping us from taking him (except someone taking him before us)...
 
Lucky said:
He had a great O-line that blew open holes against Rice & North Texas, but looked very average when playing teams with NFL type talent like OU or Michigan.
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Both OU and Michigan left guys in the box and challenged Young to beat them. OU didn't let Young loose. It also didn't help that the game plan appeared to be to run the ball even with 8 in the box.

When Michigan tried the same thing, Young took advantage of the situation. Benson was game planned out of both games.
 
Lucky said:
I can buy that. But what makes Benson an obviously better prospect than other players that could be available at #13 (who play positions the Texans need more)?
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My statement was a General one not directed @ any one position / prospect

corrosion said:
Not True , the Texans NEED to take the best available prospect not taking position into considertation (other than QB) . You dont pass up a player who is obviously a better prospect and reach at another position just because you have more need there...
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Truth is , im not so sure Benson is "obviously better" than some other prospects that could be availiable @ 13 . But looking @ the body of work over his 4 years in Texas its hard to dispute that Benson is one of the top three if not the top back in this years draft . This could be attributed to the quality of talent around him on those UT teams or the fact that he is a pretty good RB.
 
UT always runs the football..... take your guess of run, draw, or bootleg anytime the offense gets in formation. :)

Anyhow, if Benson does drop to 13 to us, I wouldn't mind the Texans drafting him. Then we could put Jammal Lord at QB and run a triple option offense.

Joking aside, it'd be nice if we had Benson. In a run-reliant offense, having 2 starter-quality backs is better than 1 when the game comes down to grinding out yards on the ground.
 
If Benson is available to us at the 13th spot, we're not going to draft him. The Texans have proven that we can get along just fine without drafting a running back with the no.1 pick. With that said I would be very excited if we were able to somehow snag Ronnie Brown, but that will not happen. And we have more needs to fill at different positions on our team. Benson may very well end up being a Kevin Jones type and if so then good for him. I'm just not very high on Benson. He's had a great college carrier and he will fill some other team's needs at that position. I know we don't draft "need wise", but I know there are players rated higher than Benson at different positions and we will draft one of those higher rated guys.
 
corrosion said:
Not True , the Texans NEED to take the best available prospect not taking position into considertation (other than QB) . You dont pass up a player who is obviously a better prospect and reach at another position just because you have more need there in the first thru 4th rounds . Doing this you pass up on more talented players and tend to overpay for those whom you made the "Reach" for. This leads to cap problems not to mention lack of talent.
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You are very wise, could not have said it better myself.
 
Heres my biggest question. What the hell did they think Benson would run?

A 4.3 or 4.4?

Seriously, does his times actually surprise anybody?
 
I think they expected him to run about a tenth of a second faster. Speed isn't as big of an issue for a power runner like Benson though.
 
ComstockLode said:
Heres my biggest question. What the hell did they think Benson would run?

A 4.3 or 4.4?

Seriously, does his times actually surprise anybody?
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The only people who didnt think Benson had an ok day was the people who put too much stock into 40 times.

I am a little disapointed that he couldnt make the catches, but I will let his carrer speak for him.
 
Bottom line is that this draft is very deep at RB, and Benson is a top 5 caliber RB in any other draft. But with Brown and Cadillac in this draft.. he could fall to 13 .. if he does.. we would be stupid to pass on him.

We have wanted a power back from day one.. the only reason we have not gone out and taken one is because DD stepped up and has filled the role for us. But if Benson was to just fall into our lap? we would take him and not look back. DD has injury issues and would serve us better as a change of pace back in the long run.

It all depends on how things look on draft day though.. I mean.. you never know who might fall to us.. but I think its gonna take alot for someone more valuable than Benson to fall to 13.
 
personally if benson falls to us i think that casserly will draft him...why else would he have sent chris palmer to his workout...they didn't send our defensive coordinator there to watch DJ so i'm guessing we're not looking to him...but why not draft benson...in this league it has been proven over and over again that you need atleast two good runningbacks...benson would be a huge upgrade over Wells and DD...he can take the pounding unlike DD and he has been making big plays all his life unlike Wells...personally i wouldn't have a problem with benson becoming a texan i just think there might be better ways for us to go in the 1st round other than a runningback
 
In looking at some of the mocks on this last day of March as we near the '05 college NFL Draft, Cedric Benson still seems to be securely planted in the top
10 picks of most of these charts and in the top 5 of many. That's kind of
surprising since he had what most consider a lack luster pro day in Austin
and many other players have shot up the mocks when their pro day performance exceeded expectations.
Nevertheless, I think he took a hit from his pro day workout and I think that improves the likelihood that he will be on the board when our turn rolls around.
Worse yet I think we might very well take him if he's there. I think it would be a good business decision because along with Texans A&M & LSU theres more grads from UT in Houston metro than any other campus. But for the sake of the team I dunno.
Just to throw out a few names: Alex Barron, Trow Williamson, Mark Clayton, Carlos Rogers, Justin Miller, & Marcus Spears - very high probability that one
or more of these guys would also be on the Board at 13 and FWIW I think
that any one of them would be more valuable to the team than Benson.
 
I say get'em if he drops to 13 :thumbup

I think he will have the kind of impact Michael Clayton and Kevin Jones had last year.

They had bad workouts at the combine too, but they clearly produced in college.

People put too much imphasis on a workout, I just want to know if they produced in college and a good workout would be just an added bonous to the deal.

Having another RB to compliment D-Davis would most definitely help the running game. Once teams start keying on the run with 8-man fronts, we can just send AJ deep and it's done, game over :cool:
 
when considering the statement that all running teams need 2 good backs, I suddenly recalled the '88 Bengals.
Anyone remember the James Brooks/Icky Woods tandem? Woods went for 1,066 and 15 tds and Brooks had 931 and 8.
Brooks also 29 receptions for 287 and 6 tds.

They were often on the field at the same time, and provided a multi-faceted attack. That was one dynamic offense.
I guess it's the old thunder and lightning philosophy similar to Tikki/Dayne or Dunn/Duckett, but actually better IMO considering that the thunder component of our potential attack would be much better that either of the afore mentioned... AND we offer an elite WR to further add to the attack which NYG and ATL lack.
If you were wondering, in '88 Eddie Brown was the Bengals WR with 1273 and 9 tds. Boomer Esiason threw for 3752 and 28 tds. Now, all the Texans need to do is draft Benson and take a page out of Sam Wyche's book and go no-huddle... :)
 
I also remember how they added William Green every now and then.
Another difference between NYG and ATL Thunder and Lightning to what would be our T&L is our Lightning can produce some Thunder of his own. DDavis has run over the best of them in his short career here. Ask Zach Thomas.
 
How "more and more"? Because the Henry trade hasn't looked like moving recently? He's not a great fit for Green's offense anyway.
 
The teams that may be looking RB that are ahead of us:
Miami - they probably take one of the three
Chicago - I expect them to either go RB or WR
Tampa Bay - they will probably go RB but might go WR
Tennessee - concerns over the health of Chris Brown may prompt them to take a RB inspite of their other blaring weaknesses
Arizona - the Cardinals have several holes on defense and could use a QB to groom, however, their biggest need is at HB. Emmitt retired and Marcel Shipp is coming of an injury (not to mention he was in the doghouse before that).

That makes it unlikely that one of the top 3 backs is available after Arizona picks. It could happen. I also read a quote from Denny Green where he said he like Benson. I think they will draft him if he is on the board.
 
TheOgre said:
That makes it unlikely that one of the top 3 backs is available after Arizona picks. It could happen. I also read a quote from Denny Green where he said he like Benson. I think they will draft him if he is on the board.
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The Bills/Cards trade for Travis Henry could still happen. From yesterday's
Arizona Republic :
The Cardinals remained interested in trading offensive tackle L.J. Shelton for Buffalo running back Travis Henry, but a potential swap probably wouldn't happen until during the draft in April.

The proposed deal is more complicated than just player for player. The Bills reportedly are asking the Cardinals to switch spots in the second round of the draft, April 23 and 24. So far, the Cardinals have refused.

The Cardinals also are asking for more than Henry, Bills President and General Manager Tom Donahoe said in an interview with Sirius NFL Radio. "They told us they didn't want to do the one-on-one swap either," Donahoe said. "They wanted us to give them Travis, plus something else.
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I believe this will determine whether one of the RBs drop. I think the trade will go down on or just before draft day & Benson will be the RB to fall. Even if Arizona makes the trade, I still think green drafts one of the speed backs later in the draft (like Arrington or Sproles).
 
Arrington is just the right type of back for Green's kind of offense. If he goes to Arizona, I think you will hear big things from him. He is a back who's performance will vary dramatically depending on the system he ends up in.
 
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