The New York Giants are signing former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin as a tight end, according to a report by Ian Rapoport at NFL Network. A first-round pick by current Giants GM Dave Gettleman for Carolina back in 2014, Benjamin has not played in the league since a short stint with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018, when he appeared in three games and caught two passes.
Benjamin looked promising during his first season in Carolina, totaling nine touchdown catches and over 1,000 receiving yards. However, those numbers turned out to be deceiving. Benjamin’s catch rate never got much higher than the 50.3% he posted as a rookie and poor conditioning eventually caught up with him. Benjamin fell out with the Panthers after getting traded to the Buffalo Bills on Halloween in 2017. He later called the organization a “bad fit” and blamed former QB Cam Newton for his issues on the field.
With the Giants Benjamin may actually have a chance to contribute, though. Outside of starter Evan Engram they don’t have much going on at the tight end position. If Benjamin impresses over the summer he might get a legitimate snap count once the season begins.
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