The Cincinnati Bengals appear to have an ego-free backfield in place for the 2012 season.
Last summer, Cedric Benson dismissed any talk of splitting carries in the Bengals' offense. Benson saw himself as a bell-cow back who deserved the rock. His continued unemployment confirms this wasn't a majority opinion.
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BenJarvus Green-Ellis, the man who essentially replaced Benson, has a far more team-friendly viewpoint. After teammate Bernard Scott said last week he feels Cincinnati will go with a running-backs-by-committee approach, Green-Ellis made it clear that wouldn't bother him at all.
"Everyone is at the bottom and working themselves up the depth chart. We have a very good group right now," Green-Ellis said, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer. "It's not just about me and Bernard splitting carries right now because you don't know who the starters are going to be."
Green-Ellis is buying into a system that was in place even before he arrived. Back in February, Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden strongly hinted a committee approach would be used after three straight seasons in which Benson carried the ball 270 times or more.
"It's not a bad way to go," Gruden said. "Keep guys fresh. They play longer, they're involved. ... 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.' "
The Bengals are getting on board with a strategy that has been adopted by many NFL teams in recent years. If you have a dominant runner, so be it. If not, mix and match for best results.
