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The Bears released Cedric Benson today, less than a month after Lovie Smith declared that the former first-round pick was still his starter.
It’s not a big surprise, and it doesn’t really affect the fantasy value of Matt Forte. He should be the team’s starting tailback – if he can handle the job. And if Forte isn’t ready to play full-time, the Bears also have veteran Adrian Peterson (the former sixth-round pick out of Georgia Southern).
With Benson out of the equation, that reduces the amount of competition in Chicago’s backfield, but that likely will change. The team almost certainly will bolster itself by bringing in an additional veteran who potentially could start if needed. The top available veterans appear to be Shaun Alexander, Travis Henry and Kevin Jones. Of those three, Jones probably makes the most sense. Alexander appears to have lost a lot of speed and desire, and Henry has run afoul of the league’s substance-abuse policy.
As for Benson, he may have started his last game. He played poorly last year for the Bears, and he doesn’t seem to have the speed, power or know-how to challenge for a No. 2 job this season.
To read more on Benson’s demise click here.
—Ian Allan
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