Some might trace Cedric Benson’s failures with the Bears to his beginnings — the 36-day holdout and leaving a bad first impression on teammates and coaches.
He is getting off to a considerably better start with the Bengals.
When the Bengals invited Benson to work out for them with a group of other free agents Tuesday, the fourth pick of the 2005 NFL draft impressed coach Marvin Lewis with his attitude.
“He really worked his butt off,” Lewis said by phone. “I was impressed with him that way. He didn’t carry himself like, ‘Hey, I’m a former No. 1 pick, I don’t have to do this or that.'”
The Bengals treated him like any player off the street, even asking him to run a 40-yard dash. Benson complied. Lewis declined to reveal Benson’s time but said he ran “pretty well” and was as fast as any of the other backs.
Whether Benson can revive his career in Cincinnati may have a lot to do with how badly he wants to do so. It could be that the Bears cutting him was the best thing for him.
Benson might have needed a fresh start. He never was embraced completely in the Bears’ locker room, and he didn’t exactly make Benson jerseys a hot commodity in Chicago.
Benson also might have needed a good slap in the face. He got one when the Bears dumped him after he failed to show up for a team function he had committed to attend and was arrested twice in a five-week period.
“He kind of forced their hand,” Lewis said. “I do think he realizes he put himself on very, very thin ice. As I talked to him, I’m sure with law enforcement he was not the most cooperative person, which led to him getting in more trouble. (Former Bengals guard) Eric Steinbach is on the boat [and gets arrested], and it goes away. This guy gets dragged to jail and Maced and all these other things. Obviously, he put himself in some bad situations. He paid a heavy price for it. But he was exonerated on all those things.”
If Benson hasn’t changed, the Bengals can cut him and lose nothing. It’s not as if they invested a generous signing bonus in him.
“We haven’t bought into him for anything long term as of yet,” Lewis said. “It’s kind of a week-by-week proposition. We get a chance to see for ourselves what kind of a kid he is.”
The plan is for Benson to start getting some carries Sunday against the Cowboys. The 0-4 Bengals are looking for a spark. They have averaged 82.2 rushing yards per game, which ranks 30th in the NFL, so he couldn’t be in a better place to have an impact.
Lewis said Benson has had a good week of preparation and practice.
“Cedric told me he has something to prove, and he’ll get a chance beginning Sunday,” Lewis said. “As [Bears coach Lovie Smith] told me, ‘You might be getting him at a good time.'”
Impressive drive: Mention voting to most players, and they will start campaigning for the Pro Bowl.
Mention voting to Brendon Ayanbadejo, and he’ll start talking about political apathy in the United States. And doing something about it.
Given the November election and the platform Ayanbadejo has as an NFL player, he felt compelled to do something. So the Ravens’ special-teams ace contacted Rock the Vote to see how he could help promote voter enthusiasm.
Ayanbadejo subsequently led a drive that resulted in between 30 and 40 of his peers registering to vote. Among those who signed up were defensive end Terrell Suggs, wide receiver Derrick Mason, linebacker Bart Scott and guard Ben Grubbs.
The former Bears Pro Bowler also is trying to enlist other teams, or at least players from other teams. He said he had spoken with the 49ers, Redskins, Vikings and Bucs. He got some support from the Bears, who agreed to put a link to the Rock the Vote Web site on chicagobears.com.
Asked which presidential candidate he supported, Ayanbadejo declined to offer an endorsement. He isn’t doing this to get his preferred candidate elected.
“I just want people to participate,” he said. “They complain their taxes are too high, or they don’t want to be at war, or they are pro or con abortion. Pick a candidate who is for these things and help shape your country.”
Ayanbadejo signed with the Ravens instead of the Bears in the off-season in part because he thought he might get more of an opportunity to play defense. So far that has not materialized because Ayanbadejo has not been completely healthy.
But he is in several defensive packages, and Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan likes to use different personnel groups to match up against specific opponents. So Ayanbadejo hopes he will get chances on defense.
Meanwhile, he has to be content with making special-teams plays. And registering voters.
Extra points: Jim Haslett is the kind of coach who can give a stumbling team a kick in the rear and get them back on track. But the best the Rams can hope for at this point is to be more competitive and win a handful of games. … Seeing the way the Raiders operate, you wonder how they ever were a successful franchise. Then again, back in their heyday, it was a different league and, really, a different world. … Don’t be surprised if the Seahawks start to make a move. They are getting their injured receivers back, and they have the running game rolling.
Scout talk
With the proliferation of two tight end sets, most teams could be enticed into taking a solid tight end prospect in the draft. Here are the senior tight ends whom teams are looking at closely, according to conversations with NFL scouts.
1. Brandon Pettigrew, Oklahoma State. A better blocker than most tight ends but doesn’t have the kind of speed that can stretch a defense. Good hands.
2. Travis Beckum, Wisconsin. Lacks ideal size at 6 feet 4 inches, 235 pounds but is very athletic and catches the ball extremely well. He won’t help much as a blocker.
3. Chase Coffman, Missouri. Hands are his No. 1 attribute. Has exceptional hand-eye coordination. Speed is so-so. Isn’t a killer as a blocker but is intense.
4. Cornelius Ingram, Florida. More of an H-back because he lacks ideal size at 6-4, 230. Playmaker with reliable hands. Had knee injury.
5. Bear Pascoe, Fresno State. Tough, physical blocking specialist. Can catch the ball but is not nifty or fast and is not used much as a receiver.
6. Shawn Nelson, Southern Mississippi. Isn’t quite as strong as you would like but a reliable receiver. Could be an H-back.
7. John Phillips, Virginia. Catches the ball well and plays smart. Shows effort and toughness. Average athleticism and speed.
8. Dan Gronkowski, Maryland. Tough competitor who shows receiving skills. Is a mechanical athlete without top strength or speed.
9. Darius Hill, Ball State. Tall, rangy player who is half wide receiver and half tight end. Good hands. Won’t fare well as a blocker on the line.
10. Ryan Purvis, Boston College. Solid prospect with reliable hands. Is average as an athlete and a blocker. Not a blazer.
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dpompei@tribune.com
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