For 3 basic reasons:

- Nobody has cap room for the contract Cedric Benson is asking for. A sign-and-trade is a long shot. Makes for good conversation on message boards and sprts columns, but it probably won't happen.

- The deadline for trading draft rights has past.

- Sitting out this season and 'redrafting' is stupid. He wouldn't be drafted 4th again. If teams suspected he was a headcase before the '05 Draft with his crying baby routine, what will they think after he turns down a $30M contract?

Basically, Benson is looking at the best money he is going to see. He has already missed 1/12 of the first year of his deal. The Bears are well within their rights to start pulling dollars off. his agent would be a fool not to get him in before the start of the season.