NFL Draft: Tom Heckert Prefers Browns Stay in Top Eight
March 26, 2012Report: Indians Work Out Vlad Guerrero In Dominican Republic
March 26, 2012The NFL owner’s meetings has been ripe with Browns talk today as Mary Kay Cabot talked to Tom Heckert. Everyone knows that the Browns will have to add a wide receiver and a running back at some point this off-season. Tom Heckert used his opportunity Monday to address that situation. We didn’t get the actual quote from Tom Heckert, but Cabot phrased it this way.
He also did not rule out the Browns signing former Bengals running back Cedric Benson at some point this offseason. Not on the frontburner, but possible.
You can choose to read that in two ways. Either the Browns are actually considering signing Cedric Benson to help carry the load at running back this year, or they desperately want people to think they have no interest in drafting Alabama runner Trent Richardson.
I don’t find Cedric Benson to be an ideal fit for the Browns considering the mileage and baggage he is known to bring with him. At the same time, if he comes at a low price and the Browns believe in the leadership and culture they have in place, you could do a lot worse than having Cedric Benson available to carry the ball 250+ times this season.
Benson’s yards per carry was 3.9 in 2011 as he broke 1,000 yards in 15 games for the Bengals. The troubling part is that his Wikipedia page has more entries under the “Legal Trouble” heading than it does in his “Professional career” heading.
Benson was arrested on two alcohol-related charges in 2008 and added in “resisting” on one of them. In 2010 he was arrested for reportedly punching a bartender. Finally in 2011 he served five days in jail and served a one game NFL suspension on “assault” chargers involving a family member.
22 Comments
I wanted Michael Bush and think this would be a great move, for a fair price, to fill a hole. It would allow us to get more use of our picks in the draft. This would take the heat off of considering drafting Richardson so high in the draft.
Yep. That’s what we need. A less talented, more surly, farther out of his prime, Jamal Lewis.
“You can choose to read that in two ways.”
actually there’s a third was to read this: as meaning less than nothing, not news, waste of internet bandwidth.
So we don’t keep Peyton Hillis who, when healthy, is twice the RB Cedric Benson is… we consider taking the guy that has a major clubhouse issues, including 3 arrests???
The fact that Heckert said this is really making me wonder what the hell is going on in the FO?!?!?!?!
Don’t you typically want a running back who can catch passes in the WCO?
Maybe he was asked the question? Crazy, I know, but it’s a possibility that he didn’t offer it out of thin air. Of course, I suppose he could have elected to not answer, but then everyone would be wondering “what the hell is going on in the FO?!?!?!?!”
I don’t think you can look at the body of work between Hillis and Benson and logically say Hillis is twice the RB Benson is. Again, Hillis being over valued.
In all fairness, Benson stayed on the field last year, playing 15 of 16 games (the other missed due to suspension). Something Hillis/Hardesty cannot say.
that is how I read it. One of two ways I think it was done:
1. MKC asks if we’d consider Benson. Heckert doesn’t rule it out. Mentions he is not the first choice but an option (as worded from above).
2. MKC asks about possible runningbacks. Heckert never mentions Benson by name, therefore did not rule him out. Since he didn’t mention him by name, MKC says that he is not the first option.
I think #2 is more likely. #2 is usually more likely in what you get when it comes to the PD though.
Isn’t Tim Hightower available? Always thought he was a little underrated. Would not mind Brandon Jacobs, either. He is a beast and should have something to prove and 2-3 years of good football left. Then we can use our picks on more pressing needs like WR, OT, CB, LB
Wow. Lots of false platitudes in this post. Benson has far and away had a much better career and more consistent body of work than Peyton Hillis to this point. Now, whether he has anything left is another issue. But we don’t even know if Peyton has anything left.
Hightower shredded his ACL halfway through last season. He wasn’t very good while he was out there. You don’t want Tim Hightower. And Jacobs looked slow. His explosiveness is gone. I say stay away from all of these retreads.
Fair enough. Forgot about the ACL tear. Not sure I agree about Jacobs. He looked good in the playoffs and the super bowl. I think he Jackson and Hardlyplay could be a decent trio.
MK might as well interview the Magic 8 Ball:
Will the Browns try to sign Cedric Benson?
Reply hazy, try again.
Would the Browns consider drafting Trent Richardson?
Ask again later.
Are the Browns entertaining any serious trade offers?
Better not tell you now.
I’ll be very surprised if Heckert doesn’t draft a RB in the 2nd or 3rd round with the eye on being the featured guy. I loved Hardesty coming out of college but even a fan of his like me has to concede he can’t be trusted. He didn’t look like the same player he was at Tennessee. Just hurt too often. I think signing Jackson last year was the type of vet signing they like – still young, fits a need (3rd down back who knows to offense), and was a good VALUE. It’s hard to see a Jacobs type guy being a good value.
Fan-preferred reply: “Don’t even bother asking, Mary Kay, we’ve prepared a color-coded list of the Rbs we’re eyeing, with our rankings and personal comments attached. Take it, share it, feel free to call if you need further clarifications. Hell, when Randy expands our war room we’ll let everybody in to give their two cents. These are the smartest fans around as far as I’m concerned, and most of them drink a lot less than our scouts. Just kidding. I’ll shoot you updated versions from the road.”
in other mkc/pd news: browns might sign ryan grant. or not. might sign brandon jacobs. or maybe not. might sign justin forsett! but also, they might not. they MIGHT– just MIGHT sign ledainian tomlinson. theyve thought about signing cadillac williams and mewelde moore. jerious norwood is someone the browns may sign. the browns probably wont sign kevin faulk. but then again they havent ruled it out.
I know the one guy we definitely won’t be signing: Peyton Hillis.
no, usually you want one that isn’t a team player and loves smoking weed
I think this would be interesting but we don’t need head cases in the locker room tell him to go to the Jets
smoke, mirrors, and (I hope) misdirection. Glad to see it
I have been saying this now for over a week to sign him so we can use our picks on the o-line and DB’s. Our line stinks and we need some punishers at the guard position. Draft a right tackle and 2 guards and Pinkston and Lauvao can compete for a job or we can have some solid backups. I pray that Heckert understands that Houston’s o-line made Arian Foster and not the other way around kind of thinking. Teams are built in the trenches and we have not solidified this area of our team.