Travis Benjamin
Benjamin, 26, is a speedy wide receiver and kick returner from the Cleveland Browns. After a relatively quiet first couple of seasons, he broke out with a stellar 2015 that was a bright spot on the rest of a dismal year in Cleveland.
Benjamin caught 68 passes for 966 yards, good for a 14.2 yard per catch average and five touchdowns this past year. He also returned 28 punts for 324 yards, (11.6 avg), including a 78-yard touchdown.
While he doesn’t have the size the Patriots would be looking for at only 5’10, 175-pounds, Benjamin does have speed, and lots of it. He runs in the 4.3 range in the 40-yard dash and can stretch the field horizontally as well as vertically. In his fourth season, his route-running has improved leading to more targets and more catches.
Benjamin with his speed forces the secondary to cover him a bit more loosely, opening up some of the underneath routes, the come-backs, and cuts across the middle which would be a perfect fit in New England. With Edelman and Gronkowski opening things up elsewhere, Benjamin getting the ball in space could be a dynamic option for the Patriots offense as his three return touchdowns have shown.
As to what will Benjamin fetch on the open market is a good question, I think the Patriots could target the speedy receiver and return specialist in the $4 to 4.5 million-dollar range. With the revolving door at quarterback and the generally poor play at the position in Cleveland, he could be a nice impact player with Tom Brady and the Patriots offense.
While Cleveland has the cap space to keep him in place for the foreseeable future, it shouldn’t be too hard to entice him away and get him to play for a winning franchise.
Next up…another player who had a breakout season in 2015.
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A former US Army Special Forces NCO and Officer, Steve has been following the Patriots since their days at Fenway Park. Steve has worked in the film industry and wrote as an Military Editor at SpecialOperations.com, 1945.com as a reporter for the Millbury Daily Voice, Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, and the Grafton News. He's also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)
