Travis Benjamin is set to hit the 2016 NFL free agency market and Bleacher Report listed the speedy wide receiver as a potential target for the Green Bay Packers. He certainly would be a dangerous option to put on an offense with Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Aaron Rodgers, but is he really a legitimate option for the Packers when free agency opens up?
Kristopher Knock opined that the Packers should take a look at the Cleveland Browns’ free agent. He had a big year in 2015, although he had to put up the numbers he had without much help at the quarterback position.
Throughout the 2015 season, Benjamin ended up catching 68 passes for 966 yards and five touchdowns with the Browns.
Green Bay was forced to play the entire 2015 season without superstar receiver Jordy Nelson. He went down in preseason action with a torn ACL. It was obvious that the offense was missing him in a big way, but he wasn’t the only issue that caused Rodgers and company to falter.
Cobb didn’t seem to take the leap forward that many were expecting following his big contract in the offseason. He seemed to take a step back, which happens to quite a few players after a big contract upgrade. That could change in 2015, but the Packers cannot afford to wait and see on that possibility.
Davante Adams was expected to take a huge step forward as well, but was a major disappointment. Whether he will develop into a starting receiver or not is a completely different question, but one that may end up not going in Green Bay’s favor.
Adding a piece like Benjamin would be a huge step in the right direction and would make the Green Bay offense much more intimidating than they already would be.
At just 26-years-old, Benjamin still has a lot of gas left in the tank. He is one of the fastest wide receivers in the NFL, recording a 4.36-second 40-yard-dash time during his draft combine work coming out of Miami. Obviously a few years have passed since then, but he still has most of that speed.
Perhaps the biggest issue for Green Bay’s wide receiving corps was the fact that they didn’t have a deep threat. That is exactly Benjamin’s speciality and he would fix that issue immediately.
That being said, could the Packers actually target Benjamin when free agency opens up?
Absolutely, the Packers could dip into free agency for a piece like Benjamin. Ted Thompson doesn’t normally spend money in free agency, but Benjamin would be affordable and Green Bay can’t afford to stand pat this time around if they want to get back to the Super Bowl. Teams are getting better around them in the NFC and free agency is one way for the Packers to take their roster to the next level.
Expect to see the Packers consider making a move or two in free agency and Benjamin could be one of their targets should they choose to make a move at the wide receiver position.
