When Kelvin Benjamin slowly walked off the field with head trainer Ryan Vermillion Tuesday, it appeared the Carolina Panthers receiver may have reinjured a strained left hamstring that kept him out for most of OTAs. He was instead having issues with his other leg.Sometime during Tuesday’s minicamp opener, Benjamin tweaked his right hamstring. The new ailment kept him out of Wednesday’s practice, and he’ll also miss Thursday’s final session.”I want to get back out there so bad with the guys, but everybody is just telling me, ‘Be patient, be patient,’” Benjamin said. “I’m missing the time with (quarterback) Cam (Newton), but we’ll pick it up over this break.”The second-year wideout suffered his first hamstring injury last month when he slipped on wet turf coming out of a cut. He missed the first seven practices of OTAs before returning last Tuesday. Benjamin claimed he’s not worried about a possible connection to his hamstring problems, but the Panthers plan to do their due diligence.“There might be a concern,” coach Ron Rivera said. “We’re going to go back and take a look and see if he had any issues at Florida State.”While it’s unclear if Benjamin’s hamstrings ever flared up in college, he did play every game of his two seasons with the Seminoles. During his first year in Carolina, he missed a few practices in training camp with a knee bruise and suffered a concussion in Week 6 against the Bengals, but for the most part, he was healthy while appearing in all 16 games.One concern some scouts had about Benjamin during the 2013 pre-draft process was his weight. When he was redshirted as a freshman at Florida State, he ballooned to 260 pounds. Currently listed at 245 pounds, Benjamin apparently tipped the scales a bit too much when the Panthers returned for offseason workouts this spring.“(The hamstring problems) could be as simple as weight. He did come in a little bit heavy and he had to work himself into shape,” Rivera said. “So we’re going to take a look at every avenue to make sure it’s not a chronic issue with him. He’s too good a football player to have on the sideline; you’ve got to have him out on the field.”Fortunately for Benjamin and the Panthers, OTAs and minicamp isn’t training camp. They now have T-minus six weeks to sort out what’s going on with their top wideout.”I’ve got enough time, lots of time,” Benjamin said.“(It’s) just a little sore, so we’re just resting it. We’re just taking our time with it. Get ready for camp, just get in shape.”
Kelvin Benjamin Suffers Another Hamstring Setback
Bill, do you think they’re trying to send him a message by going public with his weight issue(s)?
Bill, do you think they’re trying to send him a message by going public with his weight issue(s)?
Would the Panthers have been better off drafting a LT in the 1st round of the 2014 draft, rather than KB?
Bleacher Report posted a story ranking the top OG’s in the NFL, just a few days ago, and it left me feeling much better about my 2014 Panthers final mock draft pick of LT Joel Bitonio (#35 to Browns) in the 1st round (at #28). BR scored LG Bitonio at 90/100, with a pass blocking score of 45/50, run blocking of 40/45, and 5/5 as a starter. BR also had this to say about Bitonio, “All-Pro caliber, … allowed only 1 sack and 11 hurries, … powerful, … he’s the future of the NFL at LG, …a perenial All-Pro.” In my mock draft, I also selected another OT (Garrett Scott in the 5th round at #168, who went to the Seahawks at #199, but an unknown heart problem ended his career before it started), and stated that after his rookie year as a backup, he could replace Bitonio at LT, with Bitonio moving to LG in 2015. Rather than KB, they could have drafted WR’s Donte Moncrief in the 2nd round, or Martavis Bryant in the 3rd round.
Would the Panthers have been better off drafting a LT in the 1st round of the 2014 draft, rather than KB?
Bleacher Report posted a story ranking the top OG’s in the NFL, just a few days ago, and it left me feeling much better about my 2014 Panthers final mock draft pick of LT Joel Bitonio (#35 to Browns) in the 1st round (at #28). BR scored LG Bitonio at 90/100, with a pass blocking score of 45/50, run blocking of 40/45, and 5/5 as a starter. BR also had this to say about Bitonio, “All-Pro caliber, … allowed only 1 sack and 11 hurries, … powerful, … he’s the future of the NFL at LG, …a perenial All-Pro.” In my mock draft, I also selected another OT (Garrett Scott in the 5th round at #168, who went to the Seahawks at #199, but an unknown heart problem ended his career before it started), and stated that after his rookie year as a backup, he could replace Bitonio at LT, with Bitonio moving to LG in 2015. Rather than KB, they could have drafted WR’s Donte Moncrief in the 2nd round, or Martavis Bryant in the 3rd round.