Kazkal Posted January 15, 2009 Report Share Posted January 15, 2009 I realize my position on Ghiaciuc - to try to retain him at min salary (or close to it) as a backup - will probably be unpopular. No problemWell I know there are worse backups out there so I really wouldn't mind him as a backup but I simply fear the idea of us ignoring center and starting h im :| Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingwilly Posted January 15, 2009 Report Share Posted January 15, 2009 I wouldn't offer Benson insane money either.... I just might. And I'd consider doing it for all of the reasons you pointed out....plus a few others. But mostly it comes down to this. Teams rarely find potential building blocks/franchise players off of the street, and THIS team...at this moment in time....can't afford to let this opportunity pass. Keeping Benson in stripes is the key to everything.I think you might be overstating it a bit..."everything"?He could be a critical portion, but no more so than Rudi or Dillon before. The O-line and Carson's elbow are more "everthing" than Benson. I'd even say TJ is more ciritcal than Benson.I think he should get a very solid offer and I hope he takes it. Having him come back and continue to get better behind a better O-line and rehabb'd Carson. If he goes somewhere else, then there are some good FA's to go after, Derrick Ward and Dominick Rhodes are attractive...As for my take on Graham, I think he will command too much FA $ for the Bengals to sign him. Someone will overpay for a kciker who is not the best under pressure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HairOnFire Posted January 15, 2009 Report Share Posted January 15, 2009 He could be a critical portion, but no more so than Rudi or Dillon before. Well I'm not sure what point you're trying to make, but it does serve as a reminder that those guys were once considered so important to the Bengals immediate plans both players were tagged and eventually signed to long term deals. So there's that.The O-line and Carson's elbow are more "everthing" than Benson. What's Palmer's elbow have to do with which personnel moves need to be made in the very near future? Or are you suggesting this team drafts a new QB? Because if you aren't...what's the QB position got to do with anything? And as for the O-line...we're both making the same point, but from different directions. That being, a strong running game improves the odds Palmer stays healthy more than any other factor you can name. I'd even say TJ is more ciritcal than Benson. No, he isn't. As a fan I know TJ better, and I like him more. In fact, he may be my favorite Bengal player right now, at this golden frozen moment in time. So yeah, I want him back. But having TJ in stripes doesn't turn anything around, and it doesn't change anything for the better. At best, it's preserving the status quo. Conversely, if Benson truly is a franchise-quality RB then this team is much closer to the mythical playoff contending Bengals Bill Cowher was talking about.If he goes somewhere else, then there are some good FA's to go after, Derrick Ward and Dominick Rhodes are attractive... Fine, chase 'em till you're blue. But when you're done chasing after ghosts you're going to turn quickly to draft picks. Draft picks that both of us want to use on other positions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingwilly Posted January 15, 2009 Report Share Posted January 15, 2009 He could be a critical portion, but no more so than Rudi or Dillon before. Well I'm not sure what point you're trying to make, but it does serve as a reminder that those guys were once considered so important to the Bengals immediate plans both players were tagged and eventually signed to long term deals. So there's that.The O-line and Carson's elbow are more "everthing" than Benson. What's Palmer's elbow have to do with which personnel moves need to be made in the very near future? Or are you suggesting this team drafts a new QB? Because if you aren't...what's the QB position got to do with anything? And as for the O-line...we're both making the same point, but from different directions. That being, a strong running game improves the odds Palmer stays healthy more than any other factor you can name. Palmer's elbow and return to form is more important than the return of Cedric Benson. As we saw from this year, replacing a RB is far easier than a QB, especially if a guy (albeit a well regarded college RB and former r1 pick) off the street can come in a play well enough to be considered as a "Bell Cow" replacement. Dillon replaced Ki-Jana, Rudi replaced Dillon, Perry was to replace Rudi and now Cedric is to replace Perry...they can come and go and rarely outlast their deals.The game in which Palmer got hurt, the running game was clicking (with Perry no less), the pass blocking wasn't, thus the O-line is far more important to the single act of signing Benson to a long term deal (also see the Denver Broncos running game and interchangelable RB's)I'd even say TJ is more ciritcal than Benson.No, he isn't. As a fan I know TJ better, and I like him more. In fact, he may be my favorite Bengal player right now, at this golden frozen moment in time. So yeah, I want him back. But having TJ in stripes doesn't turn anything around, and it doesn't change anything for the better. At best, it's preserving the status quo. Conversely, if Benson truly is a franchise-quality RB then this team is much closer to the mythical playoff contending Bengals Bill Cowher was talking about.That is silly. Having TJ in stripes ensures that this team has a patently proven 3rd down machine, and if the status quo means getting another 90-100 catches a year for over 1000 yards, then I consider that FAR more difficult to replace via current talent, FA or the draft, and far more important than Benson.If he goes somewhere else, then there are some good FA's to go after, Derrick Ward and Dominick Rhodes are attractive... Fine, chase 'em till you're blue. But when you're done chasing after ghosts you're going to turn quickly to draft picks. Draft picks that both of us want to use on other positions.There is no reason to consider them any more or less viable than Benson. This league is all about the $, and Benson's agent will work to get him as much coin as possible, as will the agents for the others. Benson is no more under contract than the others and any perceived loyalty is smoke.I'll end with the statement that I very much want Benson to return but not at the expense of skimping on O-line or letting TJ walk. Those two focus areas are more important than Benson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HairOnFire Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 Palmer's elbow and return to form is more important than the return of Cedric Benson. Last time I checked Carson Palmer was ALREADY under contract and locked up long term. So if I'm trying to build going forward....how does he come up in this conversation?As we saw from this year, replacing a RB is far easier than a QB..... Yeah, but I'm not talking about replacing a QB or a RB. Got that? I keep Benson and replace players at other positions. As for your ideas, why attempt to replace Benson if you don't have to? You seem to be arguing that you replace a starting RB simply because you think it's easy and you don't want to pay anything. ....especially if a guy (albeit a well regarded college RB and former r1 pick) off the street can come in a play well enough to be considered as a "Bell Cow" replacement. Benson isn't just a former #1 pick. He's a former Top 10 pick who has already proven himself to be far better than anything the Bengals currently have on their roster, and furthermore...he's potentially just as good as anyone they're likely to draft or sign. And as Hoosier pointed out, we're talking about a still young player who has nearly all of the tread on his tires. Dillon replaced Ki-Jana, Rudi replaced Dillon, Perry was to replace Rudi and now Cedric is to replace Perry...they can come and go and rarely outlast their deals. Ki-Jana busted. Perry Busted. Irons busted. Seems to me replacing a RB isn't as easy as you're making it out to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HairOnFire Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 Benson is no more under contract than the others and any perceived loyalty is smoke. Who said anything about loyalty? Aren't I the guy who just said he'd have to consider paying Benson an "insane" amount of money? Well, why would I say that unless I thought it might be required? Simply put, I want this team to get better, and if I'm pulling the strings I start with the one that controls the starting RB position. And from there I get you your precious fat boys, and maybe...just maybe...a defensive player or two. But no sir, I wouldn't let Benson go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgilgris Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 Let me begin by stating that I am an OSU fan but if we sign Benson, it ensures that we will not draft Beanie Wells in the first round. We need OLINE, OLINE, DLINE. Wells is too injury prone to ever amount to anything in the NFL. Getting Benson resigned would be a good sign of things to come in the draft. Too bad MB is an idiot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kazkal Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 Wells in the first round = Meh,If it was All Day that be a different story I'd be willing spend the 6th on him keke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PalmerforPresident Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 Benson, TJ, Graham, Crocker, Blackstock and Andrews in that order of the unrestricted FA's. I'd also like to see Johnson and Jeanty of the Restricted FA's come back. I think Benson is the biggest priority, because he is the only player that faintly resembles a RB on this team. T.J. would be great to have back while Caldwell, Simpson, and Henry continue to grow. Graham is a great kicker and would be great to have back, and I'd be fine with Andrews with a minimum salary, incentive laden deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJJackson Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 You do realize that Andrews probably has to sit out a year, right? A lighter player might come back by the start of 2009 season, but this big fella is far from lightNah, we've already paid him too much for too little in return Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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