By Nick Wojton / Billswire.usatoday.com
Kelvin Benjamin was a polarizing figure for the Buffalo Bills during his entire brief career with the team.
The Bills (4-8) landed Benjamin at the trade deadline during the 2017 season. The team and fans quickly embraced him as if he was viewed as the final piece to the puzzle for the team’s offense that’d get them to the postseason.
After all, they were 5-2 overall at that point.
Just over a year later, Benjamin’s likely going to be a free agent before the end of his rookie contract after he was a first-round pick at the 2014 NFL Draft. All he has to do now is clear waivers.
The reaction to Benjamin’s release was almost a sense of relief from the fan base. That’s a big change in a little over a year.
The move by general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott is nothing short of a shock. The move was met with a “wow” from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Twitter.
There’s plenty of food for thought here, so here are five thoughts on the Bills’ decision to release Benjamin:
Never lived up to hype
As prior mentioned, the Bills traded for Benjamin at the trade deadline en route to their first postseason berth in 17 seasons. His arrival had the same affect on the fan base that his departure does: excitement. In 18 games with the Bills, Benjamin never lived up to the hype of his contract.
During that span, Benjamin only hauled in 39 passes for 571 yards and two touchdowns on 89 total targets. To Benjamin’s defense, he suffered injuries quickly in his career with Buffalo. In only his second game with the team, he hauled in a 20-yard pass from quarterback Nathan Peterman. It was the first pass of Peterman’s infamous five-interception outing. It was the only one Benjamin grabbed in the game because Benjamin injured his knee, giving him two bad knees.
Earlier in his career, Benjamin missed an entire season with a torn ACL. Benjamin played through the second injury, but it was his hands that eventually let him down. The knee injury might have, and still might be causing him issues, getting separation from defenders, but too often than not, Benjamin didn’t bring in catches that clearly should’ve been caught which then put his effort into question.
That mixed with a blue-collar fan base was a recipe for disaster.
Overvaluing previous players
With Benjamin’s premature departure from the Bills, they’ll have the likely pay him the rest of his $8.5 million contract because nobody in the NFL is going to pick up that tab.
But Benjamin had something in common with several Bills players. He previously spent time with the Panthers. That’s where Beane and McDermott were prior to landing in Buffalo. Benjamin’s release should make observers of the team wonder if the front office duo overvalue players they previously had with them in Carolina. Most of them haven’t paid dividends.
Joe Webb miraculously pulled out a heck of a throw against the Colts last season and aside from that, mainly held a special teams role. Leonard Johnson, Buffalo’s slot corner last season, ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 88th best corner in the NFL last season. Mike Tolbert wasn’t exactly loved for his running style. And finally, Star Lotulelei, the $50 million dollar man who’s the “team player” in the middle, consistently player less than half the team’s defensive snaps throughout the season. Not a great track record.
Oh, and Derek Anderson is just kind of… there.
How many talks did they have with KB?
Benjamin wasn’t the strongest in recent months at using the correct terms. In one offseason interview, he bluntly attacked his former quarterback with the Panthers, Cam Newton. That led to preseason fireworks on the field as Newton approach Benjamin prior to a game and the wideout ignored him.
Most recently, Benjamin had already sounded like he checked out of Buffalo. In an interview, Benjamin reflected on next season and said he’s essentially looking forward to a clean slate.
Sprinkled in there were times where Benjamin’s lack of effort was on display, which prompted McDermott to call him out in the media and then there was that thing where he didn’t warm up with Josh Allen?
When it’s all said and done, you have to wonder how many chances did the Bills actually give the guy?
Serious about getting reps
In recent weeks the Bills have bluntly stated that they’re looking toward the future with the 2018 playoffs out of reach. Moving on from Benjamin, as well as 30-year-old wideout Andre Holmes, shows how very, very serious the Bills are about that. Over the past two weeks, it’s been a flip flop.
Via looking toward to future, the Bills are certainly proving they’re doing so with their snap count totals. At wide receiver, Robert Foster and Isaiah McKenzie have seen a bump in plays over the past two games. In Week 11 vs. the Jaguars, both played in 57 percent of offensive snaps. Last week, it was 49 percent. Benjamin was clearly cutting into those.
Two weeks ago, Benjamin played 40 percent of snaps and then jumped back up to 60 percent ahead of the duo. Now those two will have plenty to share. But that sentiment goes even deeper than Benjamin. Terrelle Pryor was quickly cut, Wyatt Teller and Ike Boettger are getting looks on the offensive line. Levi Wallace is starting at corner. Even backup vet Jeremiah Sirles got a look along the offensive line last week.
The future starts now.
Message
Wouldn’t you love to be a fly on the wall in the locker room right about now at One Bills Drive? If you’re shocked by the moves, often the players on the team are in the same boat. While McDermott did slightly call out Benjamin one, he’s known for backing his struggling guys. Once you defend Peterman, there’s no argument you can’t make.
Now those two guys are gone and Benjamin sends the even bigger message to this team. The coaching staff will be patient, but if it’s not working out and you aren’t in future plans, you’ve got to go. No matter the circumstances financially.
While the Benjamin experiment didn’t work out, there’s still plenty of young, cornerstone pieces on the Bills’ roster who’ve now seen what happens when you don’t produce.