Bears release Archuleta Lake Forest, IL (Sports Network) - The Chicago Bears released veteran safety
Adam Archuleta on Tuesday.
The eight-year pro out of Arizona State played in 15 games last season with 10
starts at strong safety in his only season with Chicago. He finished eighth
on the team with 64 tackles while racking up two sacks, five special teams
tackles, one interception and a fumble recovery.
The 30-year-old Archuleta is a former first round selection (20th overall)
by the Rams in the 2001 NFL Draft. He spent five years in St. Louis before
signing as an unrestricted free a... More...
Bears owner Jerry Angelo confirms the club is not planning to release Cedric Benson despite his recent arrest. "The thing that I am most disappointed in is the fact that he put himself in a position to be the victim," Angelo tells the Chicago Sun-Times. "He's done a real fine job in the offseason. Obviously, this makes big story lines. That's not good for business."
Cedric Benson continues to take an aggressive approach to defending himself against charges of boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest, by hiring a new lawyer, who is considered to be one of Austin's finest, according to the Chicago Tribune. Lawyer Sam Bassett has already interviewed 10 people who were on Benson's boat Saturday night when Benson was arrested on Lake Travis, outside Austin, and described, according to a Lower Colorado River Authority police report, as being cocky, combative and smelling of alcohol. Bassett has scheduled additional interviews. Bassett stated, "I do not believe that Cedric was intoxicated when his boat was boarded by the LCRA officers for a safety inspection. I also am concerned that the force used by the LCRA officers, particularly the use of pepper spray, was not necessary under the circumstances." Another eyewitness has emerged to support Benson's claim that he was mistreated. Toby Patch was at nearby Emerald Point Marina on Saturday night when he states he saw police "manhandling" Benson after taking the running back off the boat and heading to a squad car. Patch was not one of the 15 people on the boat, but commented, "As they were taking him up the dock, they stopped, he said, 'I am fine, I can continue walking,' and they put their legs behind his knees and knocked him over his knees and started hog-carrying him. They ended up, I don't know why, but laid him on his back, I heard him say, 'Please don't pepper spray me, please don't pepper spray me. It was uncalled for, it was ludicrous, no point for it."