Play of Benson May Earn WR Future Invite to Practice with Goff
Detroit Lions wide receiver Trinity Benson is working to rebound after an unproductive first season in Motown.
After being traded last year, Benson was expected to produce at a high level.
The patience level of supporters was almost non-existent, especially after several players on offense went down with injuries, including Benson's receiving counterpart Quintez Cephus.
"Definitely challenging," Benson told reporters at minicamp. "Just coming from Denver and all of that. Just being with them during the preseason. Learning that offense and then coming here and basically Week 1, trying to learn that offense. Basically just kind of getting thrown off the deep end. ... Just learning the terminology. Pretty much everybody in the NFL -- it's a copycat league. Everyone runs the same thing. They just call it something different."
After a candid exit meeting with Detroit head coach Dan Campbell, Benson went to work on learning the playbook, a key that is aiding him to perform at a higher level through the first couple weeks of organized team activities.
Benson explained, "I went to him (Campbell) at the end of the year, because I just wanted to go directly to the source."
Benson did not want to misconstrue anything from his position coach, so a direct meeting guided the young wideout in his efforts to work his way up the depth chart.
In the offseason, quarterback Jared Goff invited several wideouts on the team for workouts.
Unfortunately, Benson was not on the invite list.
"No, the invite didn't come," Benson noted, when asked by a reporter about not being part of planned offseason workouts.
So far through the practices that have been observed by the media, Benson has been targeted often, and has made plays when called upon.
Now, the player the coaching staff is taking its time developing has an opportunity to prove he can play at a higher level.
"I definitely know I can play at this level," Benson said. "It was just last year, I just was really just out there thinking. So, the mind was just tying up the feet. Now that I'm learning the offense, I'm getting those reps that I really needed last year. I'm getting them this year. So, now, I'm just playing freely and making the plays."
