Cedric Benson-Give him #32 and we have our next Ottis Anderson

[Lomax to Green 84]

Hopefully he would put up similar numbers to Anderson (1605 yards as a rookie in 1979). Man it has been a long time since the days of Anderson annually putting up 1200-1600 yards, running over people, and scaring opposing defenses. Mike Singeltary said that Anderson was the best back he ever faced because he could juke you or just flat out run you over.

I like Travis Henry and I like the Auburn guys too, but there is something about Benson that is different and I just really think he will be a star right away like Anderson was in his rookie year. The Cards track record of drafting backs recently has not been good, but if you look at the style of back we have drafted, they all were different from Benson.

Garrison Hearst-Finesse/speed back when he came out of Georgia. Needed time to develop an NFL running style.

Leeland McElroy-Finesse/speed/ smallish back who never figured out how to run in the NFL.

Thomas Jones-Finesse/speed/smallish back who took time to figure out how to run in the NFL.

Cedric Benson-Power/Balance/Between the tackles runner who is completely opposite to the guys we have taken recently.

I promise that this is the last Benson post until we hopefully take him 9 days from now.

 

[vinnymac]

i like cedric benson a lot. i hope that the cardinals draft him. i am for whatever get the cardinals to the playoffs and superbowl.

 

[red desert]

I just like Texas players. Benson or "super 'backer" Johnson are my choices for this draft. This week, anyway.

 

[black]

I just like Texas players. Benson or "super 'backer" Johnson are my choices for this draft. This week, anyway.

Me too. Last night I was ranting about Henry and now I want Benson. Either way, we'll get us a RB and to tell you the truth, I can see Benson in a Cards uni for some reason.

 

[blindseyed]

Bensons a big boy. Is he a DG back? I don't remember Robert Smith being a bruiser. Is Benson a bruiser? I'm not well versed in his style but what I've seen I like alot!

 

[red desert]

Bensons a big boy. Is he a DG back? I don't remember Robert Smith being a bruiser. Is Benson a bruiser? I'm not well versed in his style but what I've seen I like alot!

You know, people keep talking about Robert Smith and how he is a "Green" back. I don't think you can preclude other types of back as being Green friendly just because of the success Green happened to have with Smith. That was Minnesota. Different time, different personnel, different place.

As we have seen with Green's approach and attention to the defense here, he appears open to varying from the formula he followed with the Vikes.

 

[Russ Smith]

I know what you mean but I think Benson is nothing like Ottis Anderson. Young Ottis was a much better receiver and much more of a breakaway guy, as he got older he became more of a power runner. He was special that's for sure.

Benson is awfully good my whole concern with him is based on how much he carried the ball at Texas, and the things he didn't do at Texas, catch the ball mainly.

I'm a Ronnie Brown skeptic but at least that guy proved he can catch the ball and blitz pickup(he's REALLY good at that), Benson was just not used that way at Texas(no fault of his own) and I haven't yet seen anything that says Benson proved at such and such workout he can do it.

Maybe Green doesn't value that anymore but I know he used to with his #1 backs which is why I've always assume we'd have Benson behind Cadillac and Brown on our board.

 

[SuperSpck]

I like Ottis Anderson

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I'm a Ronnie Brown skeptic but at least that guy proved he can catch the ball and blitz pickup(he's REALLY good at that), Benson was just not used that way at Texas(no fault of his own) and I haven't yet seen anything that says Benson proved at such and such workout he can do it.

.

actually, and unfortunately i can't provide the quote 'cuz i can't remember where i read it, but just recently i read something that said that cedric was actually considered a very good blocker. i don't know if that translates into reading the blitz well, but it's a start.

love this kid.

 

[Russ Smith]

actually, and unfortunately i can't provide the quote 'cuz i can't remember where i read it, but just recently i read something that said that cedric was actually considered a very good blocker. i don't know if that translates into reading the blitz well, but it's a start.

love this kid.

He may well be, the way he was used at Texas he rarely had to because they didn't throw a lot and when they did, he was often not in the game. His junior year they'd pull him for Selvin Young, he got hurt this year and Ramonce Taylor kind of filled that role a bit but he was a freshman so they gave Benson more chances and he caught a career high 22 passes.

So I'm not saying he can't block, just that he was rarely asked to do it at Texas because of their offense.

Insiders rates him a "adequate blocker in the passing game", I don't know how anybody could say otherwise because he just wasn't asked to do it much. They compare him to Stephen davis which I think is a very good comparison and Davis has had a nice NFL career. I just worry about all those carries, over 1100 carries in college!

 

[Stan C]

Do you really want some one who was quoted as "I'd rather win the Heisman trophy than beat Oklahoma". Is that a team guy? Maybe the quote was out of context, but it didn't sound good to me.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Do you really want some one who was quoted as "I'd rather win the Heisman trophy than beat Oklahoma". Is that a team guy? Maybe the quote was out of context, but it didn't sound good to me.

that quote has been hashed out a lot on this board. players say a lot of things. young players (i mean, the dude is in college, he's a pup) say a lot of dumb things. they do a lot of dumb things. if his worst offense is wanting to win the most coveted college award instead of a rival game, i can live with that. in fact, i think most players at the collegiate level would have thought the same thing (i mean, we're talking elite-level athletes here - they're almost selfish by definition as they've been catered to their entire lives) but maybe wouldn't have been dumb enough to say it.

 

[Russ Smith]

Do you really want some one who was quoted as "I'd rather win the Heisman trophy than beat Oklahoma". Is that a team guy? Maybe the quote was out of context, but it didn't sound good to me.

That didn't bother me then and doesn't now. Let's face it the ONLY chance he had to win the Heisman was a big game against OU so in a sense he couldn't do one without the other.

Benson didn't really complain about how much Texas ran Vince Young. young opened things up some for benson without question, but he also took carries away from him and I would bet there are some college RB's who would have complained about that but Benson didn't because he realized it was helping the team.


My primary concern with Benson in that regard is the talk that people say he doesn't really "love" football. If true you have to wonder how long he'll play.

Not my first choice but he can play.

 

[BigJoe]

Cedric Benson-Power/Balance/Between the tackles runner who is completely opposite to the guys we have taken recently.

Maybe if we stick #32 on him he becomes our next Michael Pittman (sans the legal issues). Don't get me wrong, I think he's a fantastic back, but this is why I both love and hate the draft.

As far as if he loves the game or not, who cares? Read some articles about Curtis Martin of the Jets some time. He openly admits that he doesn't love football, but that doesn't change his desire to want to be great and doesn't change his work ethic. I'm more concerned about those things than anything else.

 

[Russ Smith]

Maybe if we stick #32 on him he becomes our next Michael Pittman (sans the legal issues). Don't get me wrong, I think he's a fantastic back, but this is why I both love and hate the draft.

As far as if he loves the game or not, who cares? Read some articles about Curtis Martin of the Jets some time. He openly admits that he doesn't love football, but that doesn't change his desire to want to be great and doesn't change his work ethic. I'm more concerned about those things than anything else.

Well the thing is Ricky Williams didn't love the game either and look how that turned out. Benson idolizes Ricky, Benson wanted to play pro baseball but after 2 years in the dodger chain realized his future was in the NFL so he quit baseball. There are just some people who think he'll play 5 years and quit, if 5 years is enough I guess that's ok, but it's unlikely Benson will last the way Martin did that's pretty rare for a RB and even rarer for a RB like Benson who takes so many hits.

 

[40yearfan]

I'd rather see the Cards pick a Cadillac.