by John Czarnecki

Updated: May 6, 2008, 12:45 PM EST 361 comments

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Coach Lovie Smith knew this. So did GM Jerry Angelo, who drafted Benson knowing the kid came with some baggage. But Smith and Angelo preferred his size and youth and speed over the dependable grit of Thomas Jones. His peers never questioned the toughness and character of Jones, but that wasn't privately the case with Benson.

And this is why many in Chicago are clamoring for the Bears to cut Benson loose, to just get rid of him after his silly run-in with Texas water police last weekend. Benson claims police brutality for being pepper-sprayed, whereas the sergeant who arrested him for suspicion of being under the influence on Lake Travis said he was both "cocky" and "crying."

In the city of broad shoulders, they want a runner who emulates Walter Payton, not one who cries in public when under duress. Chicago fans also want a runner who produces between the white lines. In a three-year career, Benson has started 12 games and rushed for 1,593 yards and 10 touchdowns. Even with injuries and a few games of pouting, those aren't great numbers for a player taken fourth overall in the 2005 draft.

The Bears haven't been known as a franchise that spends wildly on players and that's why they didn't compete when San Diego's Michael Turner was available and why they really didn't try to keep receiver Bernard Berrian from going to the Vikings. Many are still dumbfounded by their inattention to their quarterback quandary of Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton.

This is an NFL flagship franchise with some of the league's greatest fans and you would think they deserve a better roster of players than they currently have.

I don't blame them for not paying Brian Urlacher what he wants simply because Lance Briggs got a new deal and because other linebackers are making more. Yes, Urlacher remains a star and a team leader, but not one forced him to sign his current contract. Tommie Harris, who has a year left on his original deal, would also like to get paid like a free agent and the club is trying to meet his demands. But players have to understand that every season someone is going to break the bank in the NFL, a predicament they must learn to deal with.

The Urlacher situation is worth mentioning simply because he is a player who has played in considerable arthritic pain and still produced at a high level. He is a Bear in the Butkus mold whereas Benson is more of a teddy bear.

To protect themselves against a Benson meltdown, Angelo selected Tulane runner Matt Forte with the 44th overall pick in the draft. Now, some clubs have told me that Rutgers' Ray Rice or Kevin Smith, the runner selected by Detroit with the 64th pick, were rated higher than Forte, who has 4.6 speed. But Forte did lead the nation in rushing (182.45 yards a game) while scoring a school-record 22 touchdowns. He was a tough inside runner who had four 200-yard rushing games while averaging 33 carries a game. If Forte is a starter this season and produces big numbers, the Bears had a very good draft even though they didn't take a quarterback.

However, when viewing the entire package, the Bears appear to be closer to Detroit than to Green Bay and Minnesota in the NFC North and that is definitely not a good thing. This franchise is only two years removed from being in the Super Bowl and Urlacher isn't getting any younger and neither are a few offensive linemen like center Olin Kreutz.

The Bears shouldn't simply cut Benson loose. They must wait to see how the legal situation plays out because he may ultimately be found innocent and may not be subject to any suspension courtesy of Roger Goodell. Yes, his peers will be tough on him when he returns, but he's under contract and he's not a bad backup if Forte becomes the starter. But if he pouts and starts crying, Smith has no choice but to release him. There is no crying in football!

Pulling for Cutler

I am hoping that Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler has a significant other. Now, that he has been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes he needs someone looking after him.

My wife has had diabetes for the past 25 years and it is a strange disease in that low blood sugar can cause a diabetic to act erratically. There is nothing scarier than watching a diabetic go into insulin shock, putting the patient one step closer to a coma.

Yes, it's great that Cutler is 25 and in great physical condition with the exception of his pancreas. Yes, he can control his diabetes with insulin injections — my wife shoots up four times a day — but mental and physical strain often leads to excessive fluctuations in one's blood sugar.

I mean, on game days Cutler will be under a lot of stress and the Broncos better have someone to keep an eye on him. Often, the diabetic is the last one to know that his/her blood sugar is low ... very low. Cutler will know he needs a large glass of juice with a sugar pill once he starts to get more than a little light-headed in the pocket.

The other thing is that Cutler shouldn't drink alcohol anymore and he should definitely manage his diet. I know diabetics who do drink and let me tell you their mood swings — besides their sugar count — can be unbearable.

Plus, Cutler has to be extra cautious about scrapes and serious cuts. Maybe not right now, but as he gets older. Diabetics tend to have poor circulation and thousands of them have lower limbs amputated because of this disease. One's eyesight tends to go, too.

Yes, it can be regulated and millions of Americans deal with it every day. But none of them is an NFL quarterback trying to replace John Elway in a football-crazed city like Denver.