Sunday Spotlight: Cedric Benson

The Chicago Bears selected running back Cedric Benson(notes) with the fourth overall pick in the 2005 draft. The Texas back was seen as perhaps the best mix of acceleration, short-area speed and cutback ability in a draft that also saw Auburn's dynamic duo of Ronnie Brown(notes) and Cadillac Williams go in the top five that year. For Benson and the Bears, it never really worked out -- in three years with Chicago, Benson never rushed for more than 674 yards in a single season and his off-field activities (the "boating while intoxicated" charge is a personal favorite) had the Bears going back to the drawing board and selecting Tulane's Matt Forte(notes) with the 44th overall pick. Forte ran for 1,238 yards in his rookie season, while Benson had been waived in June of 2008 with two years left in his contract. After months of cooling his heels, Benson was picked up by the Bengals, who needed depth at the position and have never been shy about taking on reclamation proj...