More disparaging news coming off the wire, as FantasyKnucklehead’s own Rustyn Rose reports about Cedric Benson adding his name to a growing list of NFL players currently losing the battle with Johnny Law.
Don’t worry, this could actually be good news to fantasy managers everywhere.
Bernard Scott has the opportunity to become much more involved in the Bengals’ offense this year, especially since Benson could face up to a year in jail.
Last year, Scott primarily filled in when Cedric Benson was hurt, playing a total of 9 games and providing fantasy owners and the Cincinnati coaching staff plenty of reason to think that with more action, Scott could be yet another viable offensive weapon which adds to his overall fantasy value.
Bernard Scott – RB – Cincinnati Bengals
ADP: 236th overall – 36th RB selected
- Last year, Scott filled in admirably garnering 321 yards on 74 carries. If that doesn’t seem like much then think about this: If you prorate those numbers to a whole season then Scott would have wound up with 1,284 yards—33 more than Benson. Scott also contributed 67 receiving yards on 5 catches for a healthy 13.4 yards per catch.
- Cincinnati is a run first offense, hands down (very opportunistic for any RB), and they have a more than capable O-line to make that happen, as Benson owners quickly found out in 2008 and ’09. But before Cedric Benson’s problem with the law, running backs coach Jim Anderson had already said that “We’re counting on him to be bigger and better than he was last season. He will play a bigger role in what we do.”—Dayton Daily News which basically means more scoring opportunities, and more playing time—now that Benson is facing possible jail time this could explode into something more meaningful.
- Scott is patient, reliable, and at times a bruising back that can be a dual threat in the ground game and passing game. Let’s not forget the 2008 Harlon Hill Trophy winner, and two-time AP Little All-American, rushed for 4,321 yards and 63 touchdowns from 2007-08 in his collegiate days, adding 93 receptions for 1,391 yards and 10 scores. He was touted as “one of the most productive running backs in college history” when he was drafted by the Bengals.
Summary: Even if Cedric Benson avoids jail time, it is evident that the Bengals staff have already begun looking into the crystal ball towards the future. In addition to that remember that Benson will ultimately face a single game, or multiple game suspension for his infraction. UPDATE: Benson proclaims his innocence and NFL seems to agree.
Additionally, the Bengals are not known to score a lot of points, and you can believe they are looking to reverse that stigma, and it begins—as always in football—with the ground game.
Bernard Scott is bound for much greater heights in the 2010/11 season, and while you obviously won’t waste a super high draft pick on him (but c’mon, do you really need me to tell you that) you can justifiably spend a 10th or even 12th round pick on a player that is waiting to bust out, and a player that will be more than just a RB2 for your team.
Remember, a sleeper is a player who is on the cusp of a break out; something that Scott is on his way to doing—with or without Benson in the lineup.
ADP taken from our friend at MyFantasyLeague.com
Benson seems to be the victim here.. so his value might not be hurt and Scott pretty much will just be a strong handcuff.
Cedric Benson’s(notes) legal team has determined that now is the “appropriate time” to give its version of what happened last month in Austin, Texas, that led to Benson’s arrest on assault charges.
Lawyer David Cornwell released the following statement Tuesday night:
“Late last month at a nightclub, Cedric Benson was asked to take pictures with some female fans. A man approached Cedric and objected to him posing for pictures with the women. Cedric explained that he had been asked to pose with the women and the man punched Cedric.
“An altercation followed and while Cedric was leaving the club, he was approached by another man aggressively. Believing this man was a friend of the man who had punched him; Cedric attempted to protect himself and continued out of the club. Immediately upon leaving the club, Cedric called the police. He was interviewed by the police and left the area.
“Two weeks ago while he was in Cincinnati, Cedric was contacted by a detective investigating the incident in Texas. Apparently, the second man who approached Cedric is an employee of the night club and claimed that Cedric punched him. Cedric agreed to be interviewed upon his return to Texas and provided his return date. Cedric was not contacted by the detective upon his return. This morning Cedric received a telephone call advising him that a warrant had been issued for his arrest. Cedric voluntarily made himself available, was taken into custody, and was released earlier today after posting bond.
“Upon his release, Cedric contacted Coach Marvin Lewis and the Commissioner’s office to notify the Cincinnati Bengals and the NFL of these events. Though we adamantly dispute that Cedric committed a crime, Cedric will continue to cooperate with law enforcement, the Bengals and the NFL in their investigation of these events.”
Source:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Al8_UpfC8gLEnOiHPEA7Dc3.uLYF?slug=tsn-lawyersayscedricbens
Yet once again another NFL player, guilty or not put himself in a bad situation. I’ll wait to see the outcome, but these guys have got to stop hanging out in places where stuff like this occurs.
Pretty interesting here. Since the charge is pretty early in the legal process, I wouldn’t write off Benson. This is something to certainly keep an eye on. IF you have a keeper/dynasty league and have Benson right now, you may consider dropping that late round sleeper for some Bernard Scott insurance.
To me personally presently there is nothing at all more exclusive compared to angling, whenever I find the opportunity.I love the peacefulness and quiet inside of my past-time, as other people do I am certain. Many thanks for your appealing comments I appreciate reading them so much. Thanks.