Lovie Smith speaks on the T.Jones/C.Benson situation

[bagobonez]

The Chicago Bears official website reports HC Lovie Smith commented on possible breakout players in 2006. "Airese Currie and Mark Bradley are a couple of players; guys who you know are good football players but just haven't come on the scene yet. Offensively, I would say those two as well as Cedric Benson. We're expecting big things from Cedric this year. Defensively, of course we have high hopes for our rookies, but we haven't actually seen them out there. Beyond the rookies, you need to see a guy like Israel Idonije take another step."

The Chicago Bears official website reports HC Lovie Smith commented on the key starting positions on the team. "Rex Grossman is our starting quarterback. Brian Urlacher is our starting middle linebacker. Mike Brown is our starting safety. But we start every year over and all decisions will be based on performance in general. I love Rex and think that Rex is a heck of a quarterback. He's our starting quarterback. But every starter has to prove himself over again each year. Rex is looking forward to that and Brian Griese is looking forward to competing in training camp, and I'm looking forward to watching it all play out."

The Chicago Bears official website reports HC Lovie Smith commented on RB Cedric Benson's role in the running game opposite starting RB Thomas Jones. "I think that will work itself out. Last year it really wasn't a competition because Cedric missed all of training camp. This year, Cedric has been here throughout (the offseason), the entire time. Everything starts over this year. We really like them both. I think there will be enough carries for three running backs through the course of a tough year."

The Chicago Bears official website reports HC Lovie Smith commented on troubled RB Thomas Jones. "What I can tell you about it is that he has chosen not to participate in the offseason program up to this day. We're disappointed in that. I'm disappointed in that. We would like all of our team members to be here. In terms of how concerned I am about the situation, Thomas has a contract with us, so eventually he'll be here."


From what I can tell... it's looking more and more like Thomas Jones may take a backseat to Cedric Benson, and that's going to happen sooner rather than later.

[moonhead]

awesome possum. this is exactly what i wanted to hear. gotta love lovie.

[DelhommesFan1]

didnt we all see this coming anyways?

[bagobonez]

didnt we all see this coming anyways?

not necessarily. thomas jones had a good year, and the job is his to lose. of course you don't pay cedric benson as well as you're paying him and have him ride the pine all year. but you can bet t.jones will steal significant carries if he doesn't get traded.

[Sixxgunn]

didnt we all see this coming anyways?

not necessarily. thomas jones had a good year, and the job is his to lose. of course you don't pay cedric benson as well as you're paying him and have him ride the pine all year. but you can bet t.jones will steal significant carries if he doesn't get traded.

Exactly right. TJ just buried himself. He was hands down the starter, with Benson entrenched as the number two, and Peterson hitting spot duty, until he aligned himself with Rosenhaus and got brainwashed into thinking he had even the smallest bit of leverage here. Now he's going to be lucky to pick up Benson's sweaty jock after the game, let alone get any decent amount of carries. If (and I believe this to be very likely) TJ doesn't re-sign with the Bears, he may have a very hard time getting a job this coming off season. He will simply demand too much money, and this debacle is lowering his value by the hour. Of course that won't stop the Almighty Drew from pumping him up further still and making him into an extremely bitter man who thinks he has gotten the shaft. Leave it to Rosie to steal another year from a football player when years are things to be valued in this sport. That's the only thing these guys are truly limited in, and losing even one can really damage them financially. Here's to you, Drew!

[VaderFin]

Wake me when it's training camp. If camp starts and Jones hasn't been traded and is sitting out then I will get a little more excited about Benson. Till then I just see the dreaded RBBC.

[bagobonez]

Wake me when it's training camp. If camp starts and Jones hasn't been traded and is sitting out then I will get a little more excited about Benson. Till then I just see the dreaded RBBC.

You're right. Jones is too talented to ride the pine all year, but Benson is getting paid too much to ride the pine as well. RBBC unless Jones gets traded or hurt.

[Dan Lambskin]

sounds like alot of off-season coachspeak, but still, it sounds like Benson is at least in the plans

[Steve_L]

Wake me when it's training camp. If camp starts and Jones hasn't been traded and is sitting out then I will get a little more excited about Benson. Till then I just see the dreaded RBBC.

You're right. Jones is too talented to ride the pine all year, but Benson is getting paid too much to ride the pine as well. RBBC unless Jones gets traded or hurt.

Yea, I can't see him getting traded to anybody really anybody either. Most teams with RB problems fixed their problems already. I am hoping they can find a way to trade him for good value because they still have 2 other good backs and they don't really need 3.