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NFL Free Agent Profile: Martellus Bennett, TE, New England

Dennis Best Avatar
February 3, 2017
Bennett Greg M. Cooper USA TODAY Sports

 

Throughout the offseason, we’ll be profiling players who may end up in Denver when all is said and done with NFL free agency. The Broncos clearly have plenty of holes to fill before they get back to Super-Bowl form and we’ll be examining a long list of players they may choose to help the franchise do just that.

Tight end Martellus Bennett could be called something of a journeyman after playing for four teams in his eight-year career, having moderate success throughout the league. Well, in 2016 after settling in New England, Bennett is starting to come into his own with the Super Bowl-bound Patriots. Bennett is coming off a regular season where he accumulated seven touchdowns, 701 yards, and only his second appearance in the postseason.

Veteran leadership and the experience Bennett has in his career could be an absolute benefit for the Orange & Blue.

Strengths

The Texas A&M alum has been able to adapt wherever he lands and make an immediate impact on his team. Throughout his career, Bennett has had a wide range of quarterbacks throwing him the ball, including Jay Cutler, Tony Romo, Eli Manning, and Tom Brady, and was able to adapt to their vastly different styles. At 6-foot-7, 249 pounds, Bennett would immediately become the biggest pass catcher on the roster and could fix the red-zone issues that Denver desperately needs to address while relieving pressure off of players such a Demaryius Thomas.

Weaknesses

Bennett will be coming into his ninth season in 2017, so he isn’t exactly a spring chicken. At 30 years old, Bennett has seen a lot of Football in his time, playing in 135 games in his career. Also, Bennett has been plagued with the notion that his blocking skills need work, although some of those issues seem to have been addressed this season in New England.

How he fits in Denver

Denver has not had a reliable tight end of the roster since the 2014 season with Julius Thomas, so adding a veteran like Bennett could spark a fire in the tight end position and elevate players such as Virgil Green and Jeff Heuerman. Having a well-traveled tight end to show the young guns the ropes could be the biggest benefit for the Orange & Blue, on or off the field.

Being called a “journeyman” in this business can be somewhat of an insult if taken out of context, but not in the case of Bennett; you can never have too many veterans in one locker room.

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