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I was really hoping we'd get a track guy. It may have been a slight reach on this kid, but it will be nice to have someone that fast lining up occasionally.
Especially now since we have a QB who can zip it downfield.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn. GM Strong
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Eh,Benjamin is a bit of a reach outside his speed,I don't like his measureables. Too undersized with short arms and small hands. He won't be able to beat press coverage. the scouting report will probally say play in his face. don't give him a cushion,cause he will eat you up. I can see him being used on bubble screens,comeback routes. Heckert invisons him as a DeShaun Jackson type. problem is Jackson had a better body of work at Cal. The Browns are stil lacking that A.J Green, Calvin Johnson type WR that is the total package.
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Eh,Benjamin is a bit of a reach outside his speed,I don't like his measureables. Too undersized with short arms and small hands. He won't be able to beat press coverage. the scouting report will probally say play in his face. don't give him a cushion,cause he will eat you up. I can see him being used on bubble screens,comeback routes. Heckert invisons him as a DeShaun Jackson type. problem is Jackson had a better body of work at Cal. The Browns are stil lacking that A.J Green, Calvin Johnson type WR that is the total package.
umm.. a lot of teams are missing that..
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Benjamin also had the inconsistent, noodle armed Jacory Harris throwing him the ball. DeSean Jackson had Nate Longshore for most of his college career, and the only thing he could do was throw the deep ball.
I'm not saying Benjamin is as good as Jackson, or even close, but at least Jackson had a chance.
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The Browns are stil lacking that A.J Green, Calvin Johnson type WR that is the total package.
As are most teams. There was no one in this draft of that caliber. I am probably a bigger Blackmon fan than most. I would have had him ranked ahead of Julio Jones last draft had he come out. But he is no AJ Green (Neither is Jones). Guys like Green and Johnson are few and far between. Hill has a chance down the road but he is years away - oif he ever gets there.
Procrastination is caused by the fear of success
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What I notice from the you tube vids on this guy is that he really has great balance and control while going up for the ball. He might be small but he looks pretty smooth.
Cleveland Browns, Space Browns
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Granted, it's a highlight vid, but several things struck out to me: - I love his body language, no rah rah after a good/big catch, never throwing the ball away or stupid stuff like that, he quickly looks to give the ball to the refs and line up again...seems like a humble guy: http://www.youtube.com/v/nrwNnxx8kts- dude can JUMP, he "go gets" the ball, not waiting for it - he's tough too, on several sideline catches he fought and banged in to multiple defenders for a couple more yds instead of just stepping out of bounds - when we picked him I thought he's a slot WR only, but guys...he isn't. Benjamin is an outside speed WR in the Torrey Smith, Titus Young, DeSean Jackson, Lee Evans mold....he runs deep crossers and gets under the ball or gets up to it really, really nicely I think he was drafted to play outside across from Little, complementing his style by streaking upfield in a hurry, opening things up for Little and the TEs...and Richardson...I think he will be brought in slowly as a no4 guy, occasionally lining up outside....still think he will take Massa's job, maybe just Mitchell's if we keep 6 WR again
#gmstrong
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If this guy runs a 4.2 40, then who is the fastest Brown. Skrine Armond Smith Tr. Benjamon.
Can Deshaun Watson play better for the Browns, than Baker Mayfield would have? ... Now the Games count.
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If this guy runs a 4.2 40, then who is the fastest Brown. Skrine Armond Smith Tr. Benjamon.
I wish we could say that about someone who was expected to be a starter. Hopefully, T-Benjamin can be just that, but for now, mid-round WR is expected to have a year of transition.
#gmstrong
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you know what I liked most about that highlight video?
every time he made a big play, he got up, handed the ball to the ref and high fived his teammates. he never did one of those "all me, look at me" celebrations. he handled it like he's been there before, done that before. i love that.
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He plays taller than he is. He seems to have good ups and timing with his jump.
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jc
From the videos I've watched, the dude has some jumps! He also catches outside of his body with his HANDS. Every catch I saw was out and away from him. Some pretty difficult. He could be a surprise with good QB play. I'm wishing for the best, there will be competition in camp for whoever gets the #1, it's fully open right now.
oioioioi
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Watching his highlight film, I see one thing: a Desean Jackson mold.
So, I started to look at their comparisons.
Benjamin: Height: 5'10" Weight: 172 lb. 40 Time: 4.36 Broad: 119" Vertical: 38" Hands: 8 3/4" Arms: 31 3/4"
Jackson: Height: 5'9 3/4" Weight: 169 lb 40 Time: 4.35 Broad: 120" Vertical: 34 1/2" Hands: 8 5/8" Arms: 31 1/8"
I was quite impressed watching Benjamin on his highlight film, and seeing how he stacks up with Desean Jackson. After all, Heckert did find Jackson late in the 2nd Round.
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I think the difference between the two guys though is short area quickness. They have similar timed, straight line speed but Jackson excels in stop and go situations. It's part of the reason why he's so successful in the NFL, even with a rather frail frame. DB's don't press cover him because he is so good at releasing off the LOS. He can make one quick move, shake off his defender and blaze down the sideline. That's something Benjamin has been said to struggle with.
Benajamin looks like a more traditional, one cut receiver. He gets out of his break, picks a lane and tries to run to daylight. He lacks the stop and go explosion of someone like Jackson (from what I have seen). He's more of a north /south player in that regard. He's not elite at making people miss, he seems to simply focus on getting up field and taking what he can get.
I still think he can be successful but having similar straight line speed (to Jackson) isn't unique. There are a lot of guys at the NFL level who have it. What separates Jackson from everyone else is his ability to go, stop, go without losing a step. His short area acceleration is absolutely unbelievable.
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Benjamin's 3 cone drill was .12 slower than Jackson.
If change of direction/change of direction speed is his problem, then he should be able to improve it with route running and learning planting and such.
you had a good run Hank.
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Last edited by DawgFace; 05/02/12 01:27 AM.
Go Browns !!!!
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Cause he got leveled on a play where the CB had it read perfectly and the QB forced a stupid throw?
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Cause he got leveled on a play where the CB had it read perfectly and the QB forced a stupid throw?
No. It's because he didn't hold on to the ball, bounce off the tackle and take it to the house. Geez. 
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn. GM Strong
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This is great example of how different fans can watch a video and interpret it differently.
...He got hung out to dry. ...the CB had it read perfectly and the QB forced a stupid throw? ...he didn't hold on to the ball, bounce off the tackle and take it to the house.
Anyone notice the Miami player wearing #1? ...#1 was supposed to block the CB who came in and laid the wood to Benjamin. ...the WR was not hung out to dry ...the QB did not make a stupid throw ...it looked like the CB made a great play, but it was made to look that way because #1 failed to touch him.
That play is designed to take advantage of the defense playing off the receivers. If #1 gets his block, that could have been a big gainer for Benjamin.
GM strong...
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This is great example of how different fans can watch a video and interpret it differently.
...He got hung out to dry. ...the CB had it read perfectly and the QB forced a stupid throw? ...he didn't hold on to the ball, bounce off the tackle and take it to the house.
Anyone notice the Miami player wearing #1? ...#1 was supposed to block the CB who came in and laid the wood to Benjamin. ...the WR was not hung out to dry ...the QB did not make a stupid throw ...it looked like the CB made a great play, but it was made to look that way because #1 failed to touch him.
That play is designed to take advantage of the defense playing off the receivers. If #1 gets his block, that could have been a big gainer for Benjamin.
After watching the hit, #1 was the first thing I noticed. After recovering I'm sure Benjamin gave him his "thanks for the block."
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When I said he got hung out to dry I meant by the wide receiver who missed the block.
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I don't think this has been posted yet... Cleveland Browns WR Travis Benjamin Could Play Big Role on Offense Early During the 2012 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns targeted former Baylor wide receiver Kendall Wright in the first round, but he didn't last long enough for Cleveland to call his name out at No. 22 because he went two picks earlier to the Tennessee Titans. Plans then changed and the Browns had to adapt in real-time, targeting players rated high on their big board while filling needs on the roster at the same time. This led Cleveland to not picking a WR until they selected former Miami Hurricane WR Travis Benjamin in the fourth round. Some were shocked and said the Browns waited too long to pick a WR and others said the Browns went with who was on their board as the draft progressed. The latter is obviously right since this regime has shown they have their plan and they are sticking to it, no matter what any fan or media person says. This leads us to Benjamin, who isn't a blue-chipper by any means, but he has the natural talent the Browns' offense has sorely needed—speed. He ran one of the fastest 40-yard dash times at the NFL Combine, which is something similar to a past receiver Browns general manager Tom Heckert picked when he was in Philly, with DeSean Jackson. This isn't to say Benjamin is the second-coming of Jackson, but the comparisons are a bit astounding when you look at their height, weight and 40-times. Jackson is 5'10", 175 pounds and ran a 4.35 at the 2008 combine. Benjamin is 5'10", 172 pounds and ran a 4.36 at this year's combine. The comparison is uncanny, but again this isn't to say Benjamin is the next Jackson because there is much more to the receiver position outside of height, weight and speed. When you examine Benjamin's college career with the Hurricanes the first thing you notice is his stats do not jump out at you, seeing as how he was a four-year starter, but Miami never properly utilized Benjamin's skill set in their offense. He still managed to catch 43 and 41 passes for 743 and 609 yards as a junior and senior, with three touchdowns in both seasons. Respectable numbers to say the least. Benjamin has something going for him right off the bat and as he's joining a highly questionable Browns receiving group outside of second-year pro, Greg Little. But what's the real point here? The point is Benjamin is now a professional football player, which means he has a fresh start and he has a great opportunity to make a name for himself as a rookie playing on an offense which has a brand new, strong armed quarterback in Brandon Weeden, a potential top-tier, superstar running back in Trent Richardson, a hopeful and developing big-time receiver in Little and an offensive line that has two Pro Bowlers on it. No matter what a scouting report says about Benjamin, he has a clean slate to build upon in the NFL and if Heckert has shown one thing in the past, it's that he can find a smaller-sized wideout with speed who can make a big play happen anytime he touches the football. Cleveland fans hope Benjamin is that type of receiver the Browns sorely needed as a legit down field threat. From: http://www.nationalfootballauthority.com/2012/05/cleveland-browns-travis-benjamin-could.html
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During the 2012 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns targeted former Baylor wide receiver Kendall Wright in the first round, but he didn't last long enough for Cleveland to call his name out at No. 22 because he went two picks earlier to the Tennessee Titans.
Plans then changed and the Browns had to adapt in real-time, targeting players rated high on their big board while filling needs on the roster at the same time.
I certainly hope this isn't true. They didn't really think Wright would make it through 19/Chicago, 20/Tennessee, and 21/Cincinnati... did they?
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Kid is fast, nimble and just has the great feet and balance you want but RAW as a route runner. Whipple obviously saw something in the kid when he was coaching him.
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Quote:
Quote:
During the 2012 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns targeted former Baylor wide receiver Kendall Wright in the first round, but he didn't last long enough for Cleveland to call his name out at No. 22 because he went two picks earlier to the Tennessee Titans.
Plans then changed and the Browns had to adapt in real-time, targeting players rated high on their big board while filling needs on the roster at the same time.
I certainly hope this isn't true. They didn't really think Wright would make it through 19/Chicago, 20/Tennessee, and 21/Cincinnati... did they?
even if they expected that he would, the writer makes it sound like they didn't even have a planB and had to come up with it in "real time" 
#gmstrong
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j/c
The bottom line is this-if Weeden (or McCoy) can get the ball to to our wide receivers IN STRIDE we will do well. Guys can be fast, shifty, etc if they dont get the ball, they are just meat puppets.
If they can, we will add 50-100 yards to our offense and some scoring, If they cant, they will be stacking the line against Richardson. And we already know that drill.
Here's hoping one of the two can.
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The bottom line is this-if Weeden (or McCoy) can get the ball to to our wide receivers IN STRIDE
That is one of Weeden's biggest strengths. He always hits his receiver in stride.
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Quote:
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The bottom line is this-if Weeden (or McCoy) can get the ball to to our wide receivers IN STRIDE
That is one of Weeden's biggest strengths. He always hits his receiver in stride.
Always?
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from a marketing perspective, you never say always or never 
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Quote:
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The bottom line is this-if Weeden (or McCoy) can get the ball to to our wide receivers IN STRIDE
That is one of Weeden's biggest strengths. He always hits his receiver in stride.
Always?
A lot more than never.
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Quote:
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During the 2012 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns targeted former Baylor wide receiver Kendall Wright in the first round, but he didn't last long enough for Cleveland to call his name out at No. 22 because he went two picks earlier to the Tennessee Titans.
Plans then changed and the Browns had to adapt in real-time, targeting players rated high on their big board while filling needs on the roster at the same time.
I certainly hope this isn't true. They didn't really think Wright would make it through 19/Chicago, 20/Tennessee, and 21/Cincinnati... did they?
even if they expected that he would, the writer makes it sound like they didn't even have a planB and had to come up with it in "real time"
It seems to me like the FO has a different draft plan we a lot of us fans do. (note: i'm sure somebody else has already made this point, but i don't have time to read every thread)...
We tend to look at it like, we have pick 22, player x ranks here, player y ranks here... and so on. The FO appears to view it as, we like player x, and we can get him by moving up/down to y spot via trade.
Last edited by Flap; 05/03/12 08:39 PM.
Crowded elevators smell different to short people...
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Well one things sure, they shouldn't even list when the Browns pics are in succession because they don't stay there.
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Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
During the 2012 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns targeted former Baylor wide receiver Kendall Wright in the first round, but he didn't last long enough for Cleveland to call his name out at No. 22 because he went two picks earlier to the Tennessee Titans.
Plans then changed and the Browns had to adapt in real-time, targeting players rated high on their big board while filling needs on the roster at the same time.
I certainly hope this isn't true. They didn't really think Wright would make it through 19/Chicago, 20/Tennessee, and 21/Cincinnati... did they?
even if they expected that he would, the writer makes it sound like they didn't even have a planB and had to come up with it in "real time"
It seems to me like the FO has a different draft plan we a lot of us fans do. (note: i'm sure somebody else has already made this point, but i don't have time to read every thread)...
We tend to look at it like, we have pick 22, player x ranks here, player y ranks here... and so on. The FO appears to view it as, we like player x, and we can get him by moving up/down to y spot via trade.
true story and they also have to find players that they believe will be available when they draft.
Meh.
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J/C,
I know it's been mentioned by fans and media alike that the Browns where targeting (speculating) Wright at pick #22.
That's all well and good and it fills in the blanks for the agenda, but if we took Wright at pick #22, then that pushes back not only Weeden a pick, but also Schwartz and Hughes, so I'm very skeptical that there is any truth to that rumor in fact the Browns stated that they only had one player targeted [Weeden] with the 22nd pick/selection.
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Whatever happened to the "We're looking at 18 different players at #22" ?
And If I recall, the "plan" was to get Wright at @@ and then trade back into the first and get Weeden...
I think the fact that we got Benjamin later (same type of WR as Wright) is a big tell that we were looking at him...
Am I the only one that pronounces hyperbole "Hyper-bowl" instead of "hy-per-bo-le"?
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Quote:
Whatever happened to the "We're looking at 18 different players at #22" ?
And If I recall, the "plan" was to get Wright at @@ and then trade back into the first and get Weeden...
I think the fact that we got Benjamin later (same type of WR as Wright) is a big tell that we were looking at him...
Firstly robing peter to pay paul is all well and good, but we used up our leverage moving up to #3 and when we settled on taking that option any chance for that scenario went out the window.
We all had fun in speculating a scenario such as your talking about, but we had other needs and by taking Benjamin when we did tells me that we probably had him targeted there all the while, because by deciding to go with a RB with our first pick the chance at drafting one of the blue chip WR's was iffy at best scenario. I think that we took Weeden at @@ was for the same reasons I thought we should before the Draft. There was a certain amount of risk we had to weigh thinking we could let him fall to pick 37 and him still being on the draft board. I think KC was in the thought process here, because they where showing a lot of interest in Weeden too. Real or perceived, it makes no difference at all.
End the end we ended up using 11 draft pick and I thought we where able to fill some key needs if not all. meh! I concede ... That would have been nice, but I'm pretty happy with the players we drafted. Selections aside I personally can't name one who I would of had on my 'do not Drafty list' (I don't actually need to make a list per say).
QB, check RT, Oorah! check RB, check WR, Okay check (granted a horse of a different color) DL rotation, check, check LB, check, check
Throw in a CB (a need) and FB/HB and I'm good with that. Let's just say I have beaten my head against the wall in many past drafts when we seemed to ignore our needs.
BPA huh! Bill Belichick has been showing us how you draft for needs by positioning your self (with acquired draft picks) in the draft to pick for needs for years now. If you where selecting in the top 10 in years passed, then you would probably go with the BPA, but with the new CBA we saw record trades in that top 10 picks. Jerry Jones say want you want about the man, but he gets his man. Hekcert's style is a little different I think, but think about this fact ... We have drafted an OL (or two) in each of the past 3 drafts. How many years did we go threw a drought there and yes we finally made the no brainer choice with Joe Thomas, but man it was a long dry spell, so I think that has been commendable. So too is adding four new young DL picks to add to Rubin the center peace. We do need playmakers, but the games won or lost in the trenches folks. Days of the past patch work FA DL and OL are behind us now and it's going to pay dividends in due time.
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Browns hope Travis Benjamin adds playmaking ability they desperately need in their receiving corpsBy Nate Ulrich Beacon Journal sports writer Travis Benjamin isn’t considered a blue-chip wide receiver, but the Browns hope his elite speed will add a new dimension to their offense. “He is extremely fast, and when you put speed on the field, it changes things,” coach Pat Shurmur said after the Browns drafted Benjamin in the fourth round (100th overall) last week. “We felt like he was going to add that element to our receiving corps.” The Browns led the league in dropped passes last season and have not been able to get consistent production out of their receivers in recent years. Greg Little led the team last season with 61 receptions for 709 yards, but 41 receivers throughout the NFL finished with more catches. Still, Browns General Manager Tom Heckert waited until the fourth round this year to address the glaring need. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Benjamin, the only receiver the Browns picked this year, should have an opportunity to earn significant playing time as a rookie. “He’s different than the guys we have, not just [in terms of] speed,” Browns President Mike Holmgren said. “He’s smaller and quicker. He’s a different receiver. We have bigger guys, not slow guys, but they’re bigger.” George McDonald served as the Browns’ wide receivers coach in 2009-10 before accepting the same position at the University of Miami, where he worked with Benjamin last season. When the Browns hold their rookie minicamp Friday through Sunday, McDonald believes they’ll gain a greater appreciation for Benjamin’s versatility. “When you look at him and see his size, you think he’s just a slot receiver,” McDonald said in a phone interview. “But with his speed and quickness, he can do a lot of things on the perimeter also. I think he has the unique ability to be flexible enough to have a skill set that allows him to play both spots.” Although the Browns have standout return man Josh Cribbs, McDonald said they could maximize Benjamin’s value by using him on special teams, too. Benjamin, who had 41 catches for 609 yards and three touchdowns last season as a senior, also was the Hurricanes’ primary return specialist. “He has legitimate track speed where he can hit those jets,” McDonald said. “He’s not as big as Josh or as physical as Josh, but I think those two back there rotating or back there at the same time, it presents problems for the punters or the kickers deciding who they want to kick it to.” Benjamin, though, must work to become a complete player. “[He needs to] get in the weight room just to develop that strength to take some of the hits that he’ll take there,” McDonald said. “I think the biggest [adjustment] that most college receivers have to deal with when they come to the NFL is just to continue to work on their route-running skills and creating separation at the top of their breaks, because everything happens a little bit faster there.” And like Little, Benjamin will bring some baggage to the league. According to the NCAA, Benjamin received more than $150 in extra benefits, including meals and entertainment, from former Miami booster and convicted Ponzi schemer Nevin Shapiro. Benjamin was one of dozens of players named by Shapiro in recorded interviews with federal agents, Yahoo! Sports reported last August. Shapiro said he provided Benjamin with extra benefits beginning Benjamin’s freshman season, according to the report. The NCAA suspended Benjamin for the 2011 season opener and ordered him to repay the benefits. “The thing that happened here with him and those guys, it was an unfortunate situation that happened when they were young kids and coming into college,” McDonald said. “… I don’t think anything that happened in terms of that is a judgment on his character. When he was with us last year, we never had any issues with him. Travis is a stand-up guy. I would recommend him 100 percent in terms of his character.” In 2011, the Browns drafted Little in the second round (59th overall), even though he missed the entire 2010 season at the University of North Carolina because the NCAA ruled him permanently ineligible for receiving about $4,952 in impermissible benefits. After selecting Little, the Browns insisted they did their homework and felt comfortable with him, in part because they had the insight of tight ends coach Steve Hagen, who coached at North Carolina in 2007-08. Shurmur suggested Browns quarterbacks coach Mark Whipple, the Hurricanes’ offensive coordinator from 2009-10, provided similar background information about Benjamin. “We got some intimate knowledge of him,” Shurmur said. “Mark Whipple was with him in Miami. He talked about how this guy has got a great future. … He felt like this was a tremendous kid. Now we got to know him, and he is a hard guy not to like.” The Browns, of course, will like Benjamin even more if he can evolve into the type of playmaking receiver they desperately need.
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 17,850
Legend
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Legend
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 17,850 |
Cribbs has never been a great PR. I'll argue all day that Northcutt was the best PR since our return. I hope that Benjamin is able to relieve Cribbs of that duty to give him one less thing to worry about.
#gmstrong
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DawgTalkers.net
Forums The Archives 2013 NFL Season NFL Draft (2013) Round 4 (pick #100)- Travis
Benjamin, WR, Miami
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