Kelvin Benjamin burst up the right sideline
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It wasn't so much the catch that thrilled Benjamin. It was, more so, how effortlessly he leaped now that his two once-wobbly knees are feeling better.
"I'm so happy to have both knees working for me at the same time," Benjamin said Wednesday.
"Last season, that catch, even trying to jump up and get that, I would have had to put so much effort just to jump. I mean, I did it with ease. It was just like second nature to me."
That's encouraging for Benjamin, who had offseason surgery to repair torn ligaments in his right knee. Benjamin also played through a sore left knee, which he strained while still playing for Carolina, before being traded to Buffalo on Oct. 31.
The 27-year-old is attempting to re-establish himself as one of the league's more productive receivers following a mostly forgettable season in which injuries and the trade stunted his production.
Benjamin finished with 48 catches for 692 yards and three touchdowns, all career lows since being selected by Carolina with the 28th pick in the 2014 draft.
Benjamin is eager to put last year behind, by saying
Brandon Saad Jersey , "You've got to have a short memory, you know what I'm saying, forget about it and move on."
It helps being healthy, and Benjamin having an entire offseason to familiarize himself with Buffalo and new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll .
Just as important, Benjamin believes he's in a better place entering the final year of his contract after getting the sense he no longer fit the Panthers' long-term plans.
Benjamin revealed he prompted the Panthers to trade him.
"I didn't want to be there no more, nah," he said. "I just felt like they weren't featuring me more. I was their No. 1, but I wasn't getting my No. 1 targets."
Benjamin had just 32 catches on 51 targets in eight games with the Panthers last season. That was a sharp decline from his rookie season, when he was targeted 145 times, and finished with 73 catches for 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane gave up third- and seventh-round draft picks to acquire Benjamin, and acknowledged having inside information on the receiver being available. Beane previously served as the Panthers assistant GM and had a hand in drafting Benjamin.
"I didn't think it was a what you'd call a perfect marriage at the time for various reasons, and probably looking at a lot of avenues for blame," Beane said of Benjamin's falling out in Carolina.
"I know when he's healthy what he can do. And you can't coach size and length that he has. And that's a weapon to defend."
In Buffalo
Womens Pavel Buchnevich Jersey , Benjamin is expected to be a fixture on a revamped offense lacking proven depth behind him at receiver.
He also benefits from playing under coach Sean McDermott, who has firsthand knowledge of the threat Benjamin can present after previously serving as the Panthers defensive coordinator.
"It's a matchup concern for defenses, it's a matchup concern for defensive coordinators, and one we need to use wisely," McDermott said.
The Bills' passing attack ranked no better than 22nd in three seasons under Tyrod Taylor, who was traded to Cleveland this offseason. Buffalo hasn't ****ed the top 10 of the NFL in yard passing since finishing fifth in 2002 during Drew Bledsoe's first season.
Rookie first-round pick Josh Allen, free-agent addition AJ McCarron and second-year backup Nathan Peterman are competing for the starting job.
Benjamin is eager to show he hasn't lost a step, while knowing he has something to prove when it comes to making a case for his next contract.
"I feel like it's going to come. You ain't got to sit there and beg for it," Benjamin said. "Money, the money, it's going to come."
NOTES: Allen ended the final day of mandatory practices on Thursday by hitting fellow rookie WR Austin Proehl on a deep touchdown pass on their first play from scrimmage. ... The Bills are off until opening training camp in suburban Rochester, New York, on July 26.
Billy Hamilton eluded a rundown tag, and the Cincinnati Reds escaped with a victory.
Joey Votto hit a bases-loaded triple in the 10th inning after Hamilton slipped out of a rundown
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”Billy showed his athleticism and got out of that jam there and set it up for Joey,” Reds manager Jim Riggleman said.
Hamilton got hung up between third and home when pitcher Kevin McCarthy (4-3) tipped Tucker Barnhart’s line drive with his glove. McCarthy picked up the ball behind the mound and threw home, and Hamilton looked done until he sidestepped Alcides Escobar’s tag and dived back safely into third base to leave the bases loaded with one out.
”I see the guy running back toward third base, I said, `Gimme the ball,”’ Escobar said. ”When I tried to tag him I thought, `Oh my God, where did the guy go?’ That was a great move right there.”
Hamilton’s speed and maneuvering set up the victory.
”That goes down as one of the more crazy things I’ve seen him do,” said Barnhart, who homered in the ninth to tie it.
Royals manager Ned Yost argued with third base ump Jeff Nelson that Hamilton ran out of the base path.
”In their judgment he didn’t leave the baseline,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. ”I said, `In my judgment he did. Can you check with Laz (Diaz, plate umpire)?’ Laz was of the same opinion. You don’t really have much ground there.”
Votto then tripled on a 2-1 count to the right-center wall, and Eugenio Suarez singled home Votto.
”I was looking for a quality pitch that I could put a little air on
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Dave Hernandez (2-0) hit a batter and struck out two.
Barnhart drove a 2-2 pitch by Kelvin Herrera over the right-field fence into in the Royals’ bullpen to lead off the ninth.
It was Herrera’s second blown save in 16 opportunities.
After Barnhart’s home run, Herrera walked Votto for his first walk of the season in his 27th relief appearance. He also walked Jesse Winker with two outs before retiring Adam Duvall on a groundball to end the inning.
Ian Kennedy, who has won one of his last 27 home starts, pitched eight scoreless innings, allowing three singles. He was removed after 104 pitches and the Royals holding a 1-0 lead.
”I leave it up to the staff to make that decision, not me,” Kennedy said on coming back for the ninth. ”I kind of felt like Kelvin has been so good this year I imagined that was probably my last inning.”
Kennedy retired 12 straight after navigating his way out of a bases-loaded jam to end the second.
The Reds loaded the bases in the second inning on Scooter Gennett’s leadoff single and walks by Suarez and Duvall. Kennedy got out of that jam when Jose Peraza flied out to center fielder Abraham Almonte, who threw out Gennett attempting to score.
Hunter Dozier led off the fifth with a 425-foot homer to left on a 2-2 pitch by Sal Romano.
That was the only hiccup for Romano. He allowed only three singles outside of Dozier’s home run in eight innings.
The Royals have dropped eight of nine and have lost 22 of 32 home games.
SPELLING LESSON
The Kaufman Stadium scoreboard spelled the opposing team as ”Cincinatti.”
ROSTER MOVES
Royals: RHP Justin Grimm (low back stiffness) was recalled from his minor league injury rehab with Triple-A Omaha and activated. The Royals optioned rookie RHP Trevor Oaks to the Storm Chasers. OF Jorge Bonifacio, who is finishing an 80-game suspension, will begin a minor league rehab assignment Tuesday with Omaha. Major League Baseball suspended Bonifacio for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: RHP Homer Bailey (right knee inflammation) allowed five runs on six hits in three innings in a rehab start Sunday for Triple-A Louisville. All the runs scored in the fifth when Bailey allowed two doubles and a triple. ”I talked to (Louisville bench coach) Dick Schofield and he basically said the first two innings looked good and then he got hit hard,” Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman said.
Royals: Jorge Soler (bruised left big toe) returned to the lineup for the first time since Friday.
UP NEXT
Reds: RHP Tyler Mahle has allowed two earned runs over 10 innings in his first two June starts, going 1-0.
Royals: RHP Jason Hammel is 2-1 with a 2.59 ERA in his past four starts.
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