Benson

In a move that makes his situation with the Bears come full-circle in less than a month, former first-round draft pick Cedric Benson has been placed on waivers, basically meaning the team is cutting ties with him.  “Cedric displayed a pattern of behavior we will not tolerate,” General Manager Jerry Angelo said in a team-issued release.  “As I said this past weekend, you have to protect your job.  Everyone in this organization is held accountable for their actions.  When individual priorities overshadow team goals, we suffer the consequences as a team.  Those who fail to understand the importance of ‘team’ will not play for the Chicago Bears.”

Benson was arrested for the second time in just over a month over the weekend, this time for drunk driving in Austin, Texas.  He first got into legal trouble in May for failing a field sobriety test after being stopped on Lake Travis outside Austin, for a random safety check. He also refused to cooperate, and according to the Lower Colorado River Authority, he presented himself as a threat to the officer. He was subdued with pepper spray and arrested.

He will go down as a major bust, rushing for Benson rushed for 674 yards, four touchdowns and 3.4 yards a carry before going on injured reserve with a broken ankle in November. In three years with the Bears, Benson has rushed for 1,593 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 3.8 yards a carry.

After the boat incident in May, the team pledged to stand behind him, and coach Lovie Smith even declared that he was still the teams feature back.  No more.  The Bears, following the lead of teams like the Bengals and Titans, decided he was not as much trouble as he is worth.  The back will now be on waivers meaning he’ll go to the worst team that puts a bid in for him.