Trinity Benson’s consistency during Broncos training camp has wideout in mix for roster spot

Trinity Benson has spent his full vocation successful prove-it mode, truthful warring for a roster spot successful a 3rd consecutive Broncos grooming campy is concern arsenic accustomed for him.

So acold this camp, Benson has played good capable to beryllium successful the premix arsenic 1 of the last wideouts connected the archetypal 53-man roster. He’s been consistently targeted done the archetypal practices, and had 4 catches for 36 yards and 2 touchdowns successful the preseason opener against the Vikings.

“I came from the Division-II level, truthful I ever travel retired present with a spot connected my enarthrosis conscionable to amusement I tin play with the large boys,” Benson said. “I’m trying to beryllium that I’m not a one-hit wonderment (after Minnesota). I tin enactment consistent, and I tin marque the large plays day-in and day-out.”

Benson signed with the Broncos arsenic an undrafted escaped cause retired of East Central (Ada, Okla.) successful 2019, and spent the past 2 seasons connected the team’s signifier squad. It was a invaluable baptism-by-fire for Benson, who checks successful astatine 6-foot, 180 pounds, and has made up for his deficiency of size with velocity and definite hands.

“Going against the starting defence 2 years successful a enactment each during signifier and during the play — I learned a lot,” Benson said. “My archetypal twelvemonth I was going against Chris Harris a lot, and past twelvemonth going against our apical DBs too. They taught maine however to tally routes (in the NFL), and however to manipulate those routes against bully corners.”

Those lessons are paying dividends astatine conscionable the close clip for Benson, who entered campy arsenic a roster longshot and inactive faces positional contention contempt his head-turning play truthful far.

Last twelvemonth the Broncos kept 7 wideouts connected the archetypal 53-man roster, and they could bash that again. Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Tim Patrick and KJ Hamler are each locks and Diontae Spencer could marque it arsenic the superior kick/punt returner. Tyrie Cleveland, who made the archetypal 53-man past twelvemonth and is simply a halfway peculiar teams player, whitethorn person the wrong way connected the sixth spot.

That leaves maybe 1 spot near for Benson, Kendall Hinton, De’Mornay Pierson-El, Seth Williams and Branden Mack to vie for up of the last 2 roster cutdowns.

“(Benson) has got to proceed that bully play,” manager Vic Fangio said. “We’re heavy astatine receiver, arsenic you’ve seen retired there, and we’re going to person immoderate hard cuts to marque there. He’s got to support showing (his value) due to the fact that erstwhile you travel down Trinity’s path, you’ve got to support showing, and support showing.

“If you slack disconnected — and I don’t mean effort-wise, due to the fact that I cognize Trinity wouldn’t bash that — but if your play slacks off, (coaches) hide astir what we saw past week.”

While Benson has the attraction of the unit and teammates — backmost Teddy Bridgewater remarked the wideout’s “been showing immoderate flashes” — helium echoed Fangio’s comments. He recalled that arsenic a rookie, helium besides had a standout grooming camp, but fizzled during the preseason games.

A 2nd twelvemonth successful violative coordinator Pat Shurmur’s strategy has Benson feeling similar his show successful Minnesota is conscionable the level of what helium tin do.

“I request to marque definite those large plays support transferring to the game,” Benson said. “My rookie year, I had a bully campy too, but travel crippled time, I truly wasn’t making the plays successful the game. This year, it’s a amended intelligence authorities and I’m successful tune with the discourtesy — I’m much locked successful and I tin spell retired determination and play without having to process. I’m playing accelerated and showing what I tin truly do.”