Bengals running back Cedric Benson has made no secret that he’s looking forward to leaving Cincinnati in free agency, and offensive coordinator Jay Gruden says the Bengals will be just fine without Benson.
Gruden told Bengals.com he’s planning a running back-by-committee offense.
“It’s not a bad way to go. Keep guys fresh. They play longer, they’re involved,” Gruden said. “If something happens to one, you know you’ve got a guy that can come in there and be productive. Where you’re not relying heavily on one guy and if something happens to him, you’re like, ‘Oh God, this guy doesn’t have many reps.’ I think it’s important to have guys touch the ball, I believe, as a committee.”
With Benson leaving, the Bengals’ committee is likely to include Bernard Scott, Brian Leonard and Cedric Peerman, and the Bengals have said they’d like to draft a running back. But the committee won’t include Benson, who led the team with 273 carries for 1,067 yards and six touchdowns last season.