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Countdown to Kickoff: San Diego Chargers No. 80 WR Travis Benjamin

By Mark Morales-Smith

Nov 30, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Travis Benjamin (11) makes a catch for a touchdown from quarterback Austin Davis (not pictured) in the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Ravens won 33-27. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 30, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Travis Benjamin (11) makes a catch for a touchdown from quarterback Austin Davis (not pictured) in the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Ravens won 33-27. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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Football season is getting closer and closer. We are now just 80 days away. Out next installment of Countdown to Kickoff features a dynamic young receiver on the rise! San Diego Chargers wide receiver No. 80 Travis Benjamin.

There are now 80 days left until the 2016 NFL season kicks off. We will continue our Countdown to Kickoff series with San Diego Chargers wide receiver Travis Benjamin. There’s a new No. 80 in town and he’s going to make a major splash in southern California this season. I expect him to immediately become one of Philip Rivers’ favorite targets. He’s a far better WR2 than anybody the Chargers had last season.

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Benjamin is yet another former Miami Hurricane star that went overlooked by NFL scouts and has made them pay. After falling to the fifth round in the NFL Draft, he emerged as a star in Cleveland of all places. A place where becoming a star receiver is no common task.

Last season Benjamin finally got a shot to be the playmaker everyone that watched him in college knew he could be. He did not disappoint. With a cavalcade of incompetent yokels throwing him the ball he still managed to catch 68 passes for 966 yards and five touchdowns. He’s also an outstanding punt returner and added another TD on special teams.

Now he actually has a legitimate NFL quarterback throwing him the ball. When you take away Super Bowl rings, Rivers has been every bit as good as his QB draft mates Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning. He’s an MVP caliber player and Benjamin will benefit tremendously from playing with him, as will Rivers from playing with Benjamin.

Benjamin can be a high-end wide receiver in this league. He is more than just a flash in the pan or complementary guy. Rivers has proven he is more than capable of spreading the ball around and making many pass-catchers relevant throughout a game or season. With Antonio Gates being 36 years old this upcoming season, he is clearly slowing down and there have already been talks of cutting his snaps significantly. This will leave Benjamin and Keenan Allen as the primary targets.
Benjamin and Allen complement each other perfectly.

Allen has a big body and can go up and get it, while Benjamin is a blur on the field and can take the top off a defense. Rivers is not shy about throwing the deep ball either. Look for him to explode this season much like his University of Miami teammate Allen Hurns did last season opposite Allen Robinson with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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I expect Benjamin to go from a guy that pretty avid football fans know, to a household name in 2016. I fully expect him to catch more than 75 passes, 1000 yards and eight TDs. There were other options at No. 80, but Benjamin was more than deserving. His career is on the rise and he’s a star in the making.

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