Lovie Sends Benson Home from OTA

by Doctor Chicago on Jun 9, 2008 4:07 PM CDT Comment 17 comments

While earlier reports suggested that Benson simply didn't show up for Monday's OTA, now it seems that Benson did show up, but Lovie Smith turned him away at the door .

Cedric Benson showed up for work this morning at Halas Hall and was told to go home by coach Lovie Smith.

That’s what Benson’s attorney Sam Bassett said.

``I know that he went to practice today and Lovie told him to go home," said Bassett, based in Austin, Texas. ``I don’t know if it’s because of the publicity or because it’s a distraction, or if the Bears are trying to decide what to do. He’s just kind of waiting to see what they tell him and what they are going to require of him.

``His agent and business manager are doing some stuff with the Bears that I am not privy to. He knows the Bears may release him. He hopes they don't. He knows he screwed up."

Benson released a statement, admitting to drinking and driving, but also saying, "I strongly believe that I am not guilty of any crime." Maybe the problem is that he truly doesn't realize that drinking and driving/boating is in fact an actual crime?

Jerry Angelo is expected to give a statement of his own, possibly about giving Benson the boot, later this afternoon.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3434053

by mike b on Jun 9, 2008 4:13 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Benson just got

Das Boot. They officially released him a few minutes ago.

Wow, an old offensive line, no receivers, no running game, no QB. You guys better hope that D returns to #1 in the league form otherwise it’ll be a long season.

by MrNFL on Jun 9, 2008 4:26 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

little too late

mr reading comprehension.

you overvalue benson if you think his loss is was makes this a “no running game” situation.

by mike b on Jun 9, 2008 4:28 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Taking shots at me? Awesome.

There was no running game to begin with, Benson getting cut doesn’t change that.

by MrNFL on Jun 9, 2008 4:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

which makes your initial post pointless

congrats you’ve come full circle.

"snuffalufagus fucks my shit up"

by leopoldjones on Jun 10, 2008 1:12 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

What’s with the hostility over here? Sheesh.

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by MrNFL on Jun 10, 2008 1:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Benson

I hope the doorknob hits him in the ass on the way out. I heard this eats $3.5 million of the 2008 salary cap. Will this affect the cap in future years?

by Guancous on Jun 9, 2008 4:43 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

It takes up 1.7 mil more in cap space this year (than if he was playing)

but they will gain 3.5 mil in cap space next year compared to if he was on the team. Overall it’s a pretty cap friendly move. Plus they will save around $2mil in payroll dollars, which can be used to sign Hester/Harris etc.

DEJESUS!!!

by tomas21 on Jun 9, 2008 5:31 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sad...ish

Not sad to see Benson go, but another sad chapter in Chicago’s horrible 1st round running back choices. For me this has been the most frustrating part of being a Bears fan. Since Neal Anderson retired, the best RB we had was A-Train and he was just ok. I haven’t decided where I place Benson in the Bears RB Bust-of-fame.

by Subotai on Jun 9, 2008 4:58 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Guess we should have drafted Mendenhall and Forte

I keed.

Travis Henry is out there, isn’t he? There will be some other training camp cuts as well.

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by thecubreporter on Jun 9, 2008 5:02 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Good that he's gone

The team can move on, they will sign someone I would think. The last three RBs the Bears have taken in the first round have busted. The last receiver we took in the first round was a bust. The last two QBs taken in the first round have to this point, busted. Benson will latch on somewhere else, maybe not until mid-season while a likely suspension from the league is being served. This doesn’t help the team but it doesn’t hurt that much either I suppose. Let’s hope Forte can get signed and focus on the #1 spot and that we get some decent help off the street.

Lovie Smith-isms:
"We get off the bus running"
"Rex Grossman is our quarterback."
"...and we'll go from there."

by GallopingGhost on Jun 9, 2008 5:19 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Benson Waived

According to ESPN – good by – thanks JA

by phastphil on Jun 9, 2008 5:24 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

How long

until Lamont Jordan wears the blue and orange?

I doubt they go Travis Henry since he has more baggage than Benson, and Alexander is just as ineffective/one-dimensional as Benson at this stage.

DEJESUS!!!

by tomas21 on Jun 9, 2008 5:32 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

i would bet

if they go anywhere he’s the guy

by mike b on Jun 9, 2008 5:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

CURSE OF THE FRIDGE

I’ve done some research and I’ve come to believe … in the Curse of the Fridge.
It wasn’t William Perry’s fault.
And far be it from me to say anything that would tarnish the legend of Da Coach.
But the facts are facts.
It was Superbowl XX, the greatest season for any NFL team ever. We were crushing the Pats. All the was left to put an exclamation point on this incredible year - and maybe more importantly the career of the best football player of all time - was to hand the ball off to Walter Payton and let Sweetness get his name in the record books.
Instead, something went wrong. The Superbowl Kool-Aid went to Coach Ditka’s head. He sent in 300-pound rookie defensive lineman Refigerator Perry to punch the ball in from the 1 yard-line. And that led to something we should have never seen in our lifetimes: Walter Payton pouting on the sideline during what should have been the crowning victory of his great career.
Whether you believe in Karma or Curses or the justice of a God who most certainly was a 34 Fan, facts are facts …
The Curse of the Fridge has led to the drafting of one bust after another since that fateful day in January of 1986 when the Bears did Walter Payton wrong.
Once we were blessed by landing the greatest running back ever to put on pads in draft.
Since Superbowl XX we’ve been cursed with nothing but garbage at the tailback position.
(I know you’ll bring up Neal Anderson’s name - #27 overall in 1986; but my research shows that Walter Payton had not retired yet, and with a still slim chance that Sweetness might get back to the biggest game of all and still yet score a TD, there was hope in 1986 that the effects of the Curse of the Fridge might be reversed. ... You might also bring up the fact that the Bears have had one other decent running back rush for them since that incredibly sad day when Sweetness retired, namely Thomas Jones (quite good and Payton-esque in drive and work ethic) - but my research shows that the Curse of the Fridge has only affected Bear RBs that came through the draft.
The Evidence: Rashan Salaam - 21st overall pick: BUST
Curtis Enis - #5 overall pick: BUST
Cedric Benson—# 4 overall pick: BUST
Need more evidence? Scan this list for a Pro-Bowler, a household name, or in most cases even a player that made the team! This is a sad, sorry list of players the Bears whiffed on at running back since The Curse kicked in:
Mark Green, Johnny Bailey (not bad at returns, but never an impact rb), James Rowe, Pat Chaffey, Darren Lewis, Salaam, Michael Hicks, Darnell Autry, Enis, Jim Finn, Anthony Thomas (had one decent season behind a monster O-line but a mediocre back that truly does belong on this list), Frank Murphy, Adrian Peterson (spare me! he was just as bad as Benson, if not worse, when given the chance to start last year), Brock Forsey, Garrett Wolfe.
I rest my case.