Who is Travis Benjamin?

Jaron Foster

benjamin
Within the last two weeks, someone in your league (maybe you) shelled out a large percentage of their FAAB dollars to acquire Travis Benjamin off the waiver wire. Many considered his performance in week one to be an aberration, but production in consecutive weeks has the makings of a trend. If you won the bid, what can you expect going forward? Should you sell high or enjoy the ride?

While Benjamin has remained under-the-radar in his professional career to date, he enjoyed a productive collegiate career with Miami from 2008 through 2011. As a freshman, he caught 18 passes for 293 yards and three touchdowns while he led the team in kickoff- and punt-returns.

He raised his game on the offense each of the next two seasons, catching 29 passes for 501 yards and four touchdowns as a sophomore before posting career bests with 43 receptions for 743 yards as a junior. Though he continued returning punts each of these seasons, he moved away from kickoff returns to focus more on his play as a receiver. He pulled everything together in 2011 as a Senior, catching 41 passes for 609 yards and three touchdowns while posting 36 returns on special teams. Emerging as a strong receiving option in Miami’s offense, Benjamin had the speed to create separation from defensive backs. He was also a reliable route runner and can use this combination of skills to break free on any given play as a true deep threat.

At the 2012 NFL Combine, the 5’10, 178-pound Benjamin (a track star in high school) showed off his elite speed with a 4.36 40-yard dash – the mark tied him with Stephen Hill and Chris Owusu for best among wide receivers. The rest of his metrics were less impressive and he only placed in the top ten at his position in one other category (ninth with a 38-inch vertical jump). He did not place in the top 15 in either shuttle run, the 3-cone drill, broad jump or bench press.

NFL teams (or at least the Cleveland Browns) decided the 40-yard dash and college production were enough to merit an early day three selection at the 2012 NFL Draft. He was taken with the fifth pick in the fourth round (100th overall) as a dynamic return specialist with potential at wide receiver.

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benjamin2The issue with Benjamin at the NFL level is that he is truly a one-trick pony. Aside from his speed, there is not a whole lot to his game. He is easily pushed off track by physical defensive backs and if he doesn’t get a good start off the line of scrimmage he is essentially rendered useless on the play. He will need to stay on the outside as his lack of physicality would not work well over a prolonged period of time in the slot.

Heading into 2015, Benjamin’s career statistics on offense were unimpressive to say the least. In 2012, he caught 18 passes for 298 yards and two touchdowns and rushed six times for 66 yards. He followed that up with a five-catch, 105-yard season with limited effectiveness on special teams in an eight-game injury-shortened season in 2013. Last season, he showed flashes of playmaking ability with 18 receptions for 314 yards and three touchdowns, but in 16 games did not return a kick for more than 37 yards.

For a return specialist who has been on the active roster for three seasons, Benjamin has been largely ineffective on special teams as well. Therefore, entering his contract season there were rumors that he would be a roster cap casualty. Luckily for him, the sad state of the Browns’ receiving corps secured his roster spot for at least one more season.

Through the first two games in 2015, Benjamin is tied for second in team targets (with Brian Hartline) behind Andrew Hawkins and both players have secured six receptions – that is where the similarities end as Benjamin has been other-worldly with more than three times as many receiving yards as any other player (204 to Hawkins’ 67) and has accounted for more than half of the team’s receiving yards as well as all three receiving touchdowns. He also has four of the Browns’ five catches of 20+ yards.

With his contract expiring, it would be to Benjamin’s advantage to keep up this level of play. Aside from Josh Gordon, all other receivers on the Browns are signed through at least 2017. Hartline, Dwayne Bowe and Taylor Gabriel have contracts through 2017 while Hawkins and Marlon Moore are inked through 2018. Additionally, regardless of Gordon’s status Cleveland will be expected to target wide receivers via the draft and free agency next offseason.

This season, uncertainty at the quarterback position will undoubtedly take its toll on Benjamin’s production going forward as all three of his touchdowns in the first two weeks came from Johnny Manziel passes. With Josh McCown set to return in week three, it remains to be seen if Benjamin will receive the same targets.

While Benjamin was the fifth best overall wide receiver in most scoring formats through two weeks, now is the time to sell. Even if he continues to get targets from either McCown or Manziel, the rate of efficiency (hauling in six of seven targets) is not sustainable. Defenses will start to plan for his deep balls, and his skillset does not suggest he can make significant adjustments to counter their game plans.

Even if you just spent a good portion of your FAAB budget on Benjamin, I would suggest sending out offers to teams in need of wide receivers. The Browns may realize they have an underutilized deep play threat, but the production will not be consistent enough to even merit flex consideration most weeks (particularly with McCown under center).

If you choose to send offers involving Benjamin, a second round draft selection or combining him with a late pick to acquire a higher pick would be fair offers. Alternately, 2015 rookies in the second round range (Jaelen Strong, Javorius Allen, Tyler Lockett or Chris Conley) may be options if they are slow to produce and the shine wears off.

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jaron foster
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