The Bengals, who signed free agent Cedric Benson earlier this week, like what they have seen from the former Bears running back. Benson saw a lot of reps in practice on Wednesday because of Chris Perry's sore hamstring. "I thought he did a good job," head coach Marvin Lewis said. "He had a crash course for 24 hours. He seemed to carry his pads well and had a little burst and acceleration." "The first impression was a good impression," added running backs coach Jim Anderson. "He's a competitor. He'll compete to get himself ready, and when he's ready, he'll do what he can do." Chicago released Benson in July following a pair of alcohol-related incidents. He was exonerated of all charges last month. "It feels good to be back on a team around a great group of guys, very accepting to me, and I'm just thankful for the opportunity," Benson said Wednesday. "The fact they were willing to give me an opportunity said a lot about them as an organization, just the opportunity was what I liked most. "It's going to be tough at first ? new scheme, new playbook, things like that. My head is spinning a little bit, but I'll have a few more things I'll like by the end of the week."