ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Bills wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin hasn't been himself since his rookie season in 2014 because of knee injuries. He tore his ACL in training camp for his second season and then tore his meniscus on the first drive of his second game last season with the Bills. 

However, he's running well just a few weeks after a February surgery, and Benjamin believes he's primed to bounce all the way back.

"I think it's going to be a great season for me," Benjamin said. "Coming off that ACL, I never really felt the same. They say it really takes 2-3 years for that ACL to really come back, so I feel good right now. I feel strong as I've ever been, lightest I've ever been, and just having fun right now."

 

Benjamin stands above every receiver on the Bills roster, both literally and figuratively. He's the only one with a 1,000 yard season. Benjamin's one of the five out of the 13 wideouts at OTAs who has scored an NFL touchdown. His 19 career TDs are more than the combined career-highs of fellow receivers Zay Jones, Jeremy Kerley, Andre Holmes and Rod Streater. So to say he's crucial to the success of the quarterbacks would be a severe understatement.

"He’s a great player, huge target, really, if you just put the ball around him, he does a great job of snagging it and making a play," said Bills quarterback AJ McCarron. "He’s been awesome to work with and I’m looking forward to the future."

"Kelvin’s an unbelievable talent," said Bills quarterback Nathan Peterman. "Obviously, all of his measurables, but he wants it too. He’s got the mentality that ‘I’m going to go beat the guy in front of me,' and ‘if you just throw it up, I’m going to catch it.' That’s huge when you’ve got a guy like that with his talent; it’s helpful."

A big bounce back for Benjamin will be helpful to not only the Bills, but also his bank account with this his contract year.