PK Manley Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 (edited) Looking at Benjamin's splits from last year, only a handful of his catches came from passes over 20 yards anyways. Granted, he did a lot of damage on those catches with yards and TDs, but it seems to show that he's not just a deep threat. I've read elsewhere that he's a good route runner, so I don't see why he couldn't be effective on slants, etc. Starting to warm up to this idea a bit. Edited February 25, 2016 by PK Manley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falconsfan567 Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 2 minutes ago, Bobby.Digital said: Lol are you kidding? If the WR isn't able to create separation then your less likely to complete the pass. Also not sure if you ever watched the Ravens play but Flacco usually takes a shot down the field when nothing is open. Usually it's more of a throwaway than anything. But anyways this is besides the point. You still haven't proven how Ryan is a good deep ball thrower. Go do you homework and come back with some numbers. Did you read the article that you posted? This post shows that you didn't or you would understand why the receiver doesn't matter in the numbers that you posted. Clearly you need to read the article and then come back and admit that I'm right in Ryan being a more accurate deep passer than Joe Flacco and it having nothing to do with the receivers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby.Digital Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 15 minutes ago, Falconsfan567 said: Did you read the article that you posted? This post shows that you didn't or you would understand why the receiver doesn't matter in the numbers that you posted. Clearly you need to read the article and then come back and admit that I'm right in Ryan being a more accurate deep passer than Joe Flacco and it having nothing to do with the receivers. The accuracy numbers reflects how many passes were on target. Now if you read my previous point about how alot of Flaccos passes are more throw aways than actually targets (because noone is open) who can see how his numbers would take it a hit. Also if a WR isn't able to create separation then it's alot harder putting the ball where it's supposed to be. But like I said my original point was how Ryan isnt a good deep ball passer. You said it's a myth. I posted numbers to back up what I'm saying. You were suppose to do your own homework and come back with some numbers which I'm still waiting for...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falconsfan567 Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 4 minutes ago, Bobby.Digital said: The accuracy numbers reflects how many passes were on target. Now if you read my previous point about how alot of Flaccos passes are more throw aways than actually targets (because noone is open) who can see how his numbers would take it a hit. Also if a WR isn't able to create separation then it's alot harder putting the ball where it's supposed to be. But like I said my original point was how Ryan isnt a good deep ball passer. You said it's a myth. I posted numbers to back up what I'm saying. You were suppose to do your own homework and come back with some numbers which I'm still waiting for...... I'm working on the numbers, it takes time do. I'm trying to do like 8 years of numbers for numerous QBs all by myself. It takes time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtlantaFanatic Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 3 hours ago, .WORzone said: Meh Mike Wallace will get cut and cost half as much. If all we want is a guy to run straight, he's your man. Doesn't he drop like everything thrown his way, or am I thinking of someone else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romfal Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 depends on the money, but this would be a nice move Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knight of God Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 I don't hate it, but Ryan isn't that good. Needs taller receivers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwifalcon Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Man I'd pay Osemele 10 before I would Irvin I know that lol. Still holding out for offense during FA TE,G or C WRer. Full court press on defense in the draft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDog90 Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 11 hours ago, hjerry said: Well, he does have that Shanahan connection. He didn't play good as good for Kyle like he did for DeFillippo (who is in Philly) this past season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tribal Chief Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 13 hours ago, insight said: Benjamin is good but can we really afford 10 million for a #2. If the browns let him walk it's obvious he wants big money. What has he done to make you think that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tribal Chief Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 13 hours ago, youngbloodz said: I would be on board. He is a Miami guy after all. Hands would have to improve Nothing more than a young Hester imo. I honestly would like someone else if they are gonna get a new #2 in fa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tribal Chief Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 6 hours ago, Knight of God said: I don't hate it, but Ryan isn't that good. Needs taller receivers. This Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youngbloodz Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 1 hour ago, ya_boi_j said: Nothing more than a young Hester imo. I honestly would like someone else if they are gonna get a new #2 in fa Muhammad sanu is my first choice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tribal Chief Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 41 minutes ago, youngbloodz said: Muhammad sanu is my first choice Even he hasn't done much outside of one season to make me buy into his hype. He's been a decent #2 but with this weak group of fa WR, I can see someone desperate throwing him #1 money and making him their guy. Cleveland is high on him according to rumors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youngbloodz Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 2 hours ago, ya_boi_j said: Even he hasn't done much outside of one season to make me buy into his hype. He's been a decent #2 but with this weak group of fa WR, I can see someone desperate throwing him #1 money and making him their guy. Cleveland is high on him according to rumors He definitely isnt a number 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tribal Chief Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 2 minutes ago, youngbloodz said: He definitely isnt a number 1 He isn't but the market will be extremely weak this year and there are a few teams that need one. Mos don't agree but it's a bad year to need a #1 WR in free agency Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hashbrown3 Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Get it done Falcons. This kid's arrow is pointing up. Just look at the QB position in Cleveland??? Just look at it. Travis Benjamin will kill our rivals. He runs great routes and gets nice separation. He's a 4.36 guy too. He solves lots of problems for us. Instant return man & a deep threat besides Julio. He could potentially be a star for us. Cleveland Browns Receiver Travis Benjamin Has Developed into Top Playmaker By Ian Wharton, Featured Columnist Oct 5, 2015 SHARE TWEET NEXT ARTICLE » Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories Jason Miller/Getty Images 10.3K Reads 14 Comments In the midst of another disappointing start to the season, theCleveland Browns’ 2015 campaign has gone as poorly as it really could have. Their 1-3 start has been filled with subpar defensive performances and issues that often plague bad teams; issues like turnovers and penalties. But through the messy first month has been a breakout playmaker, wide receiverTravis Benjamin. Benjamin’s emergence as a legitimate top receiver has been years in the making. The former Miami Hurricane was mostly a gadget player in college. He’d see action on end-around run plays, go-routes and special teams. His speed has always been obvious, but the offensive playmakingwasn’t. Despite running a blazing 4.36 40-yard dash, Benjamin fell to the 100th overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft. Concerns with his rail-thin frame and ability to play anywhere but the “Z” receiver likely caused his fall. For the first three years of his career, Benjamin played to his scouting report. He was a burner that really made his mark on special teams. His explosive return abilities have made him one of the best returners across the league. If you needed more proof that you can’t fully judge a draft class until three or four years down the line, look at Benjamin now. In his fourth season, and a contract year, Benjamin’s play has sharply improved. He’s set a career-high for receiving yards and touchdowns just one month into the season. Benjamin’s raw numbers look great on their own so far. He’s been targeted just 27 times, including 10 in each of the last two games. But that has resulted in 328 yards, four touchdowns and multiple big plays. He’s continued his dominance as a return man, too. He’s close to setting his career-high in punt return yards, with 214 on 12 returns. He notched his third career punt return touchdown against theTennessee Titans in Week 2. Getting back to Benjamin’s development as a receiver is our focus, though. As the Browns have largely neglected upgrading their receiving corps in the draft and free agency, Benjamin’s growth is especially notable. It’s not as if he’s producing while working off of a true No. 1 receiver like Golden Tate has in Detroit, or Emmanuel Sanders inDenver. Instead, Benjamin is carrying a heavy burden in Cleveland. Not only has he been working with a very limited supporting receiver corps, but he also has one of the worst quarterback situations in the NFL. Nevertheless, he’s helped both Josh McCown and Johnny Manziel look competent for stretches of play. There aren’t a lot of receivers across the NFL outside of the elite group that can do so much with so little. To help get a grasp of how well Benjamin is doing outside of the raw numbers, we’ll use Football Outsiders and our own film study to take a look at what makes Benjamin so effective. This will include a route-tree breakdown to see when Benjamin is being targeted the most for usage purposes. Benjamin’s Impact Using Football Outsiders to get a grasp on the competition that Benjamin faced, we can see that Benjamin ranks very well. According to their DVOA ranks, which takes into account play-by-play efficiency of the receiver compared to an average receiver, Benjamin has been a top-three receiver in the league. Surely, his low target number compared to his total yardage helps him. No receiver can match Benjamin’s per-snap production besides James Jones of the Packers, and he has a much better surrounding cast to help. Football Outsiders also has Benjamin’s catch rate at a paltry 59 percent. That number means that he’s rarely getting an accurate pass thrown his way. Compare that to Larry Fitzgerald’s 82 percent catch rate and Antonio Brown’s 83 percent. Obviously, the Browns’ quarterback play hasn’t been near the caliber of Carson Palmer or Ben Roethlisberger, respectively. To help quantify this information, I decided to chart all of Benjamin’s targets. Since the Browns’ quarterbacks tend to throw to their first or second read more often than most around the NFL, this helps predict how featured Benjamin will be, as well as has been, to this point. The results are below. Travis Benjamin Targeted Routes in 2015 Route No. of Targets Cross 3 In/Out 3 Slant 5 Curl 4 Comeback 1 Dig 5 Deep Out 1 Post 2 Corner 0 Go 6 Self-charting The number of go-routes makes complete sense, seeing as Benjamin’s a deep burner that tracks the ball well. Not all speedy receivers can say that. What makes Benjamin more than just a toy and more of a game-breaking talent is his ability to win on other routes. NFL Game Pass His speed and sharp cutting makes defending him a very difficult task. Not only is there the constant threat of a double move to go deep, but he can gain yards after the catch with ease. He burned the San Diego Chargers after the catch on this 2nd-and-6 crossing route. The ability to create an intermediate gain off of a short throw is a must for top receiving options. A vast majority of NFL receivers can make this catch, but the extra gear Benjamin has to scoot away from the tacklers and get upfield is what makes him special. But he is not purely reliant on speed. Against the Oakland Raiders in Week 3, Benjamin was relatively quiet. We didn’t see the big, explosive play. Instead, Benjamin showed that he is tough, despite his diminutive weight and frame. Below is the touchdown reception he had off of a slant. Watch how hard he fights to finish the play. NFL Game Pass This shouldn’t be taken for granted. Benjamin is making the most of his opportunities and putting his body at risk by fighting for every last inch on the field. His extra effort is yet another skill that is shared by other top playmakers. Nuance is needed to be a successful wide receiver over the long haul. Players who own their craft are far better over the test of time, even as physical gifts diminish. Since Benjamin has recovered from his ACL-tear in 2013, he has worked tirelessly to regain his explosiveness but also become a solid route-runner. This allows the Browns to run him on a variety of routes to keep the defenders off balance. To help illustrate Benjamin’s polish as a route-runner, take a look below. Facing one-on-one coverage, Benjamin stays balanced throughout his route and keeps his shoulders squared until the break in his route. His feet tell the story better. As Benjamin approaches his cut, he could have easily cut inside, where the cornerback incorrectly guessed by showing his hips too early. NFL Game Pass Benjamin earned this reception through deceiving the cornerback. There is no way a defender could recover from that position, especially factoring in Benjamin’s explosiveness. Even as he ages over the course of the next half-decade, his route precision will have him continuing to be successful. Of course, the fun plays are still going to be present for the foreseeable future. When the Browns were forced to play JohnnyManziel, there was an instant chemistry between Manziel and Benjamin. Manziel’s willingness to extend plays and heave deep passes plays right into Benjamin’s wheelhouse. NFL Game Pass Benjamin doesn’t thrive in contested ball situations with his lack of bulk, but he is very good at adjusting to underthrown passes. Week 2 against the Titans offered a good glimpse of this ability on the opening drive for the Browns. Manziel bombs a pass around 60 yards, but it is slightly underthrown and drifts to the right of where Benjamin is heading. It didn’t matter. Future Value Determining Travis Benjamin’s value as an upcoming free agent is a difficult one. Right now, his numbers are on pace to reach 1,312 yards and 16 touchdowns on just 64 receptions. That would be good for second in franchise history in terms of yards and touchdowns. Maybe Benjamin doesn’t continue that success, but there is no doubt that he is a legitimate playmaker that will be paid. If we project modestly for Benjamin and say he reaches 1,100 yards receiving and eight touchdowns, he has some interesting comparisons. We cannot forget his return impact, as well, which should only increase his value to a franchise. Take a look at the table below for some monetary and production comparisons. Travis Benjamin Contract Comparison Player Age (at time of signing) Receptions in contract year Yards in contract year Touchdowns in contract year Free-agent contract signed Pierre Garcon 26 70 947 6 5 years, $42.5 million, $20 million guaranteed Torrey Smith 26 49 767 11 5 years, $40 million, $22 million guaranteed Golden Tate 25 64 898 5 5 years, $31 million, $16 million guaranteed Spotrac.com In terms of comparisons, I looked for players with one big year of production but somewhat limited production outside of that. Thatdidn’t yield many examples. This is another factor when projecting a deal for Benjamin since he’s peaking at the right time to get paid. Because of the unique situation Benjamin is in and the fact he can produce on special teams in spectacular factor, his asking price should fall within the parameters of Golden Tate and Torrey Smith’s deal. Obviously, Tate showed great growth with Detroit after signing his big contract, and a new situation may similarly benefit Benjamin if he departs from Cleveland. A better quarterback situation won’t be too hard to find. I’ll project a five-year, $38-million deal for Benjamin. He’ll hit unrestricted free agency at 26 years old, which is the same as Smith did this past spring. A reasonable guarantee would be around $20 million, again based off of the Tate and Smith comparison. The Browns may be able to get a discount if they can keep him off the unrestricted market with an early offer. Benjamin’s hard work and massive progression must be recognized by the Browns and their opponents. He’s now a legitimate starting receiver with a high ceiling to produce every week. Fantasy football players that snatched him off the waiver wire are reaping the benefits, just like the Browns are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hashbrown3 Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 He also finished fourth in the NFL with six catches of 40-plus yards. Browns associate head coach/offense Pep Hamilton named Benjamin first last week when asked about the playmakers on the team. "Benjamin, big time playmaker, speed is off the chart,'' he said. "He's shown that he can get over top of coverages and he is a difference maker. He's a guy that if you get the ball in his hands and you give him space, he'll make something happen with the football.'' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hashbrown3 Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Browns executive VP of football operations Sashi Brown said contract negotiations with impending free agent Travis Benjamin have not broken down. Brown said he spoke with Benjamin's agent at the Combine. There have been several reports in recent days suggesting Benjamin is headed to free agency, with the Chargers and Falcons reportedly "in the hunt" for his services. Those reports had the look of agent-driven leaks intended to create leverage in negotiations, but at this point it would not be surprising if Benjamin hit the open market. Feb 25 - 10:03 AM Source: Mary Kay Cabot on Twitter Still hope we can work something out with Benjamin. Surely he'd love to play next to Julio Jones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwifalcon Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 ^^^^^^^^^^ Hash you make a good argument here.If you cut Roddy and add another 1.5-2 mill against the cap seriously I'd do it and do it now 5 years 35-40 odd mill just do it and end the pain for Roddy. It would be unfortunate for a stalwart like Roddy but the Falcons must move on and the fact Benjamin is a returner we save $$$$ aswell by cutting Hester tome this would be one of the smartest FA signings for the Falcons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archmeister Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Ideal guy to stretch the field, so Julio can continue to do work all around but with a little more space. Let's be honest, nobody resepected Hank/White/Hardy's speed. Not a bad pickup if we can't address in the draft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hashbrown3 Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 So wondering if this thing has wheels or just fluff? Hope it's real. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconinPA Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Wonder if he would ask Julio if he could pay for the number 11. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hashbrown3 Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 30 minutes ago, FalconinPA said: Wonder if he would ask Julio if he could pay for the number 11. LOL... This just might be the deal breaker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falconsfan567 Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 1 hour ago, HASHBROWN3 said: LOL... This just might be the deal breaker. I just made Benjamin #10 when I got him on the Falcons. LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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