Bills add Benjamin in deal with Panthers
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. » The Buffalo Bills’ best start to a season in six years just got a little better.
General manager Brandon Beane reinforced his team’s patchwork group of receivers by acquiring Kelvin Benjamin in a trade with the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday that was completed just before the trade deadline struck. In exchange, Carolina acquired Buffalo’s third- and seventh-round picks in next year’s draft.
For the Bills (5-2), Benjamin provides a boost to a team off to a better-thanexpected start after Buffalo spent much of the offseason overhauling its roster. And his addition reverses a trend in which general manager Brandon Beane spent much of the past three months trading away talent to stockpile draft picks to rebuild a team in the midst of a 17-year playoff drought.
Receiver Sammy Watkins was traded to the Los Angeles Rams and cornerback Ronald Darby dealt to the Eagles in separate trades on the same day in August. Then, on Friday, Buffalo’s top-paid player, defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, was dealt to Jacksonville.
“It probably saves me from getting my tail kicked from walking in there,” Beane said with a laugh, referring to entering the Bills’ locker room.
Buffalo plays at the New York Jets on Thursday night, and Beane said it’s up to coach Sean McDermott to determine whether Benjamin will play. Benjamin was scheduled to travel to Buffalo and take a physical on Wednesday.
The Panthers (5-3) parted ways with their 2014 firstround draft pick, who failed to consistently develop into Cam Newton’s top target.
Benjamin made an immediate splash as a rookie, when he set Carolina franchise rookie records with 73 receptions for 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns. But the former Florida State star tore his ACL in training camp the following season and hasn’t quite been the same since, often battling soreness in his knee and weight issues.
Benjamin last season had 63 receptions for 941 yards and seven TDs.
Jets get Robinson from 49ers
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. » The New York Jets got some help for their banged-up secondary at the NFL’s trade deadline.
Cornerback Rashard Robinson was acquired Tuesday from the San Francisco 49ers for a fifth-round pick in next year’s draft.
Robinson was a fourthrounder last year who was a starter for San Francisco. He had 61 tackles, two interceptions, 15 passes defensed, a forced fumble and one fumble recovery in 22 games with the 49ers.
Trade between Browns, Bengals scrapped
CLEVELAND » A proposed trade between the Browns and Bengals involving quarterback A.J. McCarron fell through when paperwork was not filed to the NFL before the 4 p.m. deadline.
The teams had an agreement in place, sending McCarron to Cleveland, but paperwork did not arrive at the league office in time, said league spokesman Brian McCarthy. He did not provide any further detail about why the transaction wasn’t finalized.