This seemed like a perfect match. A malcontent running back with a criminal record and the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals signed running back Larry Johnson—released by the Kansas City Chiefs last week because he was more trouble than he was worth—to a short-term deal that runs through the end of this season. Details of the contract were not available yet.
I figured the only other team that would even take a look at this guy would be the Oakland Raiders. The Bengals might be playing better football, but they still make some very questionable decisions when it comes to the character …read more

Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson had a little extra motivation against the Chicago Bears today. Since his offseason release from Bears—the team that drafted him back in 2005—Cedric has been an integral part of the Bengals’ 5-2, AFC North leading start. This afternoon, he ran for a career-high 189 yards with one touchdown in his first game against his former team as the Bengals thumped the Bears 45-10.
How did he explain having his career-best game against his former team?
“It’s hard to explain. It was a bit of an emotional week coming into this one. At the end of the …read more

Blogcasting the National Football League, Blogcasting the NFL
Like Kevin Jones, Cedric Benson and Ron Dayne, Shaun Alexander is a high-profile, veteran running back looking for a job in the National Football League. Hard to believe — especially in Shaun’s case — considering he led the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl and was the NFL’s Most Valuable Player just three years ago. Some reports are saying that teams are shying away from Shaun because he’s more committed to his faith than he is football, but I’m not buying that. Anybody that knows Shaun knows that he will give 100% to …read more

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Blogcasting the National Football League, Blogcasting the NFL
Chicago Bears RB Cedric Benson was released by the team today following two recent alcohol-related arrests. About five weeks ago, Cedric was charged with boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest following a random safety check on his boat on Lake Travis in Austin, TX. He was then charged with driving while intoxicated after failing a field sobriety test this past Saturday, also in Austin. I’m not surprised with the decision to waive Cedric. In a news release I received from the Bears Media Relations Department, GM Jerry Angelo made this statement:
“Cedric displayed …read more

As the NFL’s off-season transactions continue to move at a rapid-fire pace, three top-level running backs found new homes today — Ahman Green and Travis Henry in free agency, and Thomas Jones (reportedly) via a trade.
Ahman Green rebounded from an injury-plagued 2005 by rushing for over 1,000 yards last season with the Packers. He moves to Houston where he’ll join Domanick Williams (formerly Davis) and Wali Lundy in what should be a formidable backfield. The only thing the Texans are forgetting (so far) is that they still don’t have anyone to block for these guys or protect the QB.
Travis Henry …read more