Atlanta Falcons: Travis Benjamin a Great Fit in Free Agency
By Nick Ziegler
The Atlanta Falcons were able to improve in the 2015 season, but there is still work to do to become a playoff team in 2016.
In recent years, the Falcons have been known for their offensive firepower with Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, and Roddy White. Last season, the Falcons made a change at head coach, as defensive-minded Dan Quinn took over for Mike Smith.
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Rebuilding the defense is going to take time in Atlanta, but the Falcons still have the capability to be a great offense. The combination of Ryan, White, and Jones have accomplished some great things, but one of the three is on the downside of his career.
White was one of the best receivers in the NFL during the span of 2007-2012, but the 34-year-old has struggled in recent years. As White was starting to decline, Julio Jones was making his rise to stardom in Atlanta, and now he has become one of the best receivers in the NFL.
Last season, White totaled 43 receptions, 506 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown. After six straight seasons of totaling more than 1,000 receiving yards, White hasn’t totaled more than 1,000 receiving yards in the past three seasons.
With the struggles of White, Jones was able to have a monster season for the Falcons in 2015, as he totaled 136 receptions, 1,871 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns.
Since White is no longer the receiver he used to be, the Falcons need to find a new running mate for Jones, and one option that could be a great fit is Travis Benjamin.
The Cleveland Browns don’t have much on their team in terms of offensive weapons, as Benjamin and tight end Gary Barnidge were bright spots in a poor season for the Browns. Cleveland is likely going to be adding a quarterback in the draft this season, but keeping Benjamin has to be a priority for them.
Last season, Benjamin had a career-year, as he totaled 68 receptions, 966 receiving yards, and five receiving touchdowns. Prior to 2015, Benjamin only totaled 41 receptions, as last year was certainly a breakout season even with poor play at the quarterback position.
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If the money is there for Benjamin elsewhere, it would be very understandable if he were to leave the Browns, as they don’t appear to be improving anytime soon. Benjamin is an excellent receiver down the field, and would likely be a great fit in Atlanta with Ryan and Jones.
Jones was subjected to a lot of double teams last season, but pairing him with another talented wide receiver like Benjamin would help Jones, and would also greatly benefit Benjamin.
The Falcons still have some things to improve upon before they are ready to truly challenge the Carolina Panthers in the NFC South, but adding Benjamin could be a big help to an offense that surprisingly did struggle at times.
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If Benjamin could total nearly 1,000 receiving yards in Cleveland, the sky would be the limit with Ryan throwing him the ball in 2016.