According to multiple reports, the Raiders have shown interest in bringing veteran RB Cedric Benson in with the possibility of signing him to a contract. Benson, 29, has a lot of milage but is a big, strong back which may fit a need for the Raiders. He’s thought of being a better fit in power scheme than the zone blocking scheme that the Raiders run.
On the surface, this move makes little sense as the Raiders already have a large stable of running backs all of which are younger and, potentially, more talented than Benson at this stage in his career. However, it seems likely that the Raiders are signing Benson as insurance. McKenzie has shown that he doesn’t like to over pay and therefore Benson’s contract – if he gets one – is likely to be for a lower amount where the team can cut him for no cost if he doesn’t pan out.
If he seriously outperforms either Mike Goodson or Taiwan Jones, he can make his way on the roster and have earned it. He also can serve as an insurance policy if either Goodson or Jones gets injured in camp, a possibility that cannot be discounted.
Benson played in 15 games last season, rushing for 1067 yards on 273 carries, an average of 3.9 yards a carry. He also scored 6 TDs.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
