Cedric Benson

Certainly not, but that doesn't make LJ's production by itself.
Plus:
http://footballoutsiders.com/stats/ol2006.php
KC's line isn't stellar lately, and wasn't in 2006. They ranked very strong in 2005, yes. Regardless, there are a very select few players that have seasons like Johnson's 2005, 2006. I'm not saying Benson should be having those seasons, because I didn't believe him a top five overall talent. But he's not had that same explosion. Even with Johnson's dumb holdout, he's still more dangerous.

 

No, he isn't. Their speed is roughly the same, as is their running style. You simply don't want to acknowledge that because you're still hung up on Benson, which is silly. LJ is not a great running back and never has been. He's definitely solid, but he's thrived because he's been running behind an offensive line with multiple Hall of Famers. Now that he's playing without those guys, his ypc has fallen all the way to 3.4.

 

So you want me to acknowledge that KC's line is top 10 but you don't want to acknowledge that LJ's rushing yardage and average have fallen right after a holdout?
sorry, but Benson hasn't thrived despite having some very good blockers himself. They dropped Jones, who isn't the back Benson should be, to make Benson that back. And he hasn't been that player.

 

Of course not, because a holdout would have no significant effect on LJ's performance. There is no statistical trend for backs to have lesser numbers following a holdout. It seems to have no effect at all.

LJ was a dominating running back in '05 with at least three future Hall of Famers blocking for him. Then his ypc dropped nearly a full yard following Roaf's retirement, and now it's dropped nearly a full yard again following Shields' departure.

Aside from Kreutz, Chicago is a below average line. Benson had pretty much the same averages that Jones did while both were there. This year teams are noticeably stacking the line because they don't respect the Bears' passing game.

 

oh good lord. So you know for a certainty that missng two months of play has no effect, but you know in absolute certainty the selective parts that are.

Kreutz, Tait, and Brown are certainly above average run blockers. I know, your immediate comeback is Brown's age, but he's still a fine player. He's no worse than last year. The other two starters, same as last year.

As opposed to years past, when Grossman and Orton were all-world. It's not that the Chiefs have stellar QB play right now, but sure.

Also, Adrian Peterson has a fine line, and no quarterback, and just gashed the above Bears for a ton. That's what a top ten RB should look like. Benson at no point has looked like a top five pick and you don't draft slower, larger workhorse players top five. You draft elite playmakers top five. If this is what Benson is supposed to look like, and this is him living up to expectations, he shouldn't have been a top five back.

 

Upon further review looking at the players that went shortly after Benson, none of the offensive guys have really lit it up. Unless the Bears wanted to add to an already loaded defense with a buy like Merriman or Ware (which would have been considered a big reach at the time) then Benson was not an awful pick. I agree though that you expect more from a top five pick than they are getting from Benson.

 

They could've traded down. They could've taken Rogers where they were, but were too committed to Rex.

 

I am sure they would love to have Merriman playing next to Urlacher and Briggs right now too but that is asking a bit much to know that so far in advance.

 

I've been covering fantasy football for a really long time now, and at one point one of the things we looked at was whether or not holdouts had an effect on player performance. For quarterbacks, there appeared to be some effect, but it seemed totally random for running backs. I have no reason to think that things have changed since then, but it seems like you want to pretend that LJ's decline hasn't been due to the obvious - the offensive line - because you want to pretend that he used to be better than he was. The truth is that neither LJ or Benson have ever been great running backs. They're both talented, strong runners with good vision, but both depend on the quality of their line to succeed (in which case you're still correct about Benson not being a great fit here since our line sucks).

Kreutz is it, really. Tait and Brown have both declined substantially in recent years; they weren't great last year either.

No shit. Didn't someone looking remarkably like me say that he was the best RB prospect since Bo Jackson? Benson is comparable to Ronnie Brown and Cadillac, who all went at the top with him. The NFL just doesn't have many guys like Adrian Peterson come along. Even McFadden is better than that trio.

Sure you can, and it's really disingenuous of you to pretend that he's slow. It's odd that you're taking this argument so personally, in fact. As for me, I wouldn't have taken him top 5, but I wouldn't have taken Cadillac or Ronnie Brown there either. And remember, LJ went in the bottom third of the first round.

 

we disagree there, but allright. I don't think an elite back becomes average because of moderate talent difference, and there have been a lot of changes in KC specifically in two years. I'd most definitely take Johnson over Benson at any point.

well, I feel like they're both still good enough for him to be able to be better than he is.

I googled it quickly and found a 4.55 40, which isn't fast. Granted, neither is LJ, but he's shown some breakaway ability and acceleration I haven't seen out of Benson. That may just be me.

yeah, that's pretty much where I was, though I felt Williams/Brown were a tier higher. First round I can see, but very high first round, I feel like that should be a much better back than this. That was my issue before, and my issue now. He's a quality back, if without the attitude. I think of LJ as a much better back personally, but again may just be me.