Bears Suddenly Hurting at RB

When training camp began, it looked like the Chicago Bears had too many tailbacks. Now it suddenly appears they don't have enough, with Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson both hurt.

Jones has been on the shelf throughout training camp because of a strained hamstring muscle. Benson hurt his shoulder Friday and had his left arm in a sling over the weekend, although the severity of the injury still was not clear.

That left third-stringer Adrian Peterson atop the depth chart at least temporarily.

Jones was the centerpiece of the Chicago offense last season but Benson was to receive more playing time this year as a second-year pro. Jones, wary of having his role reduced, skipped the Bears' voluntary offseason workouts, and there was talk at various points during the offseason that he might be traded. But the Bears kept him, and the injuries to the two runners early in camp underscore that Coach Lovie Smith and General Manager Jerry Angelo probably were wise to retain Jones because having one reliable tailback on a roster often isn't enough.

By Mark Maske |  August 6, 2006; 9:34 PM ET  | Category:  Bears
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