On Tuesday, the Buffalo Bills announced the release of Kelvin Benjamin. It’s a rather depressing announcement as Benjamin knocked his rookie season with the Carolina Panthers out of the park and was seen as a solid receiving option. Unfortunately, with injuries and now questions of work ethic, Benjamin finds himself a free agent.
The San Francisco 49ers could use some wide receiver help with the recent injuries and personal issues facing the unit. Marquise Goodwin has been out, but returns this week while Pierre Garçon has battled injuries all season. It’s a safe bet that the 49ers will move on from Garçon in 2019 and may want to look at bringing in one more wide receiver, be it from the draft or free agency to push Dante Pettis, Kendrick Bourne Trent Taylor and others.
Problem is, if Benjamin is someone to kick the tires on, he’s not exactly the mold Kyle Shanahan wants. Benjamin can catch the ball (well, when he wants to), but his separation skills leave something to be desired. Separation is something Shanahan values above all else and it has helped him when scheming his wide receivers open, something Pettis excels at.
Benjamin was a first round pick for the Panthers whom dealt him to the Bills. The Bills cut their losses that same season with the release, which already indicates something is wrong with Benjamin for him to go from first round pick with great rookie season, to trade, to release. With Garçon gone (theoretically), the 49ers will have a younger wide receiver unit. They passed on Dez Bryant, as did the rest of the league in the 2018 offseason. Kelvin Benjamin could be worth a workout to bring in, but the fact he’s gone from what he was to being a free agent in just one season is concerning.
Should the 49ers spend some cash to bring Benjamin in?