The Facts: With less than three weeks until the start of free agency, Benson has not heard from the Bengals about re-signing. Said Benson on Sirius NFL Radio’s Late Hits program about where things stand: “I’m not sure. We haven’t had any talks about a new deal.”

Diehards Line:Benson has rushed for over 1,000 yards the past three seasons but the running game has struggled. Late last season, Benson had five fumbles in wins over the Rams and Cardinals and saw just 20 carries for 71 yards in losses to the Ravens and Texans. Given all that, Enquirer staffer Joe Reedy believes the odds of Benson returning for a fifth season in Cincinnati were slim at best as Jay Gruden would like to have more than one feature back along with averaging more than 3.8 yards per carry. Additional comments made during the same radio appearance -- suggesting the offense had lost its identity with Gruden calling plays -- make it even less likely.