Potential Jets: RB Cedric Benson

Reports this morning indicate that the Cincinnati Bengals will not offer RB Cedric Benson a new contract, thus leaving the veteran as a free agent. Benson has had several criminal issues in the past, however he is still a good running back and may be in a position to contribute to the New York Jets.

Benson is 29, on the cusp of the inevitable breakdown of running backs. Last year he ran for over 1,000 yards, showing that his tires still have some tread left on them. It's possible that we could sign Benson, who normally plays very well against the Jets, for a relatively cheap contract. I would imagine that he could be used much in the way Thomas Jones was milked to get the last possible juice from those legs (that sentence looks grosser than I imagined it).

I don't think Benson is the right way to go for the Jets, even if the contract would only be for a year or two. As we saw with LaDanian Tomlinson, the team needs young, fresh legs with speed. Despite that, Benson might be valuable in the short term to compliment Shonn Greene.

What do you all think? Should we pursue signing Cedric Benson?