Allen Park — Detroit Lions’ wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El might not be a fireman, but he could’ve fooled Trinity Benson last offseason.
The former wide receiver turned coach explained last month how the staff blasted Benson with a fire hydrant’s worth of information after he was acquired through a trade with the Denver Broncos in August 2021.
It was a move made official just 12 days before the Lions opened their season against the San Francisco 49ers, which essentially forced the coaches to immediately get him acclimated.
“We brought him in last year and we water-hosed him … and you could see it was just a bit too much,” Randle El said. “And that (would have been too much) for anybody. But you can see now, he’s taken it in, he’s gotten stuff down, he has limited his mistakes and he is making plays, and it’s good to see. Everything that we thought we were getting out of him is really showing up.
“He’s not just flashing, you see it over and over again and we figure it’ll keep going. Obviously, our big thing is we always talk about (how) we’re out here in pajamas (for OTAs). What’s going to change when you get pads on? But we know he’s done it in pads because we’ve seen it in preseason and we continue to expect him to get better.”
Benson, who went undrafted in 2019, logged the first regular-season snaps of his career last season, making eight appearances and catching 10 passes for 103 yards.
The production was modest, but the East Central University product has turned some heads this offseason. Head coach Dan Campbell said he noticed Benson’s growing rapport with the quarterbacks on the roster throughout OTAs.
“Look, to this kid’s credit … he came up (to me) after the season (and) he was like, ‘Coach, what do I got to do? What do I really need to do?’ And we talked about it and he took it serious,” Campbell said to the media June 8. “He’s always put in the work. It’s a credit to him.”
The biggest thing Campbell wanted Benson to do was work on his knowledge of the playbook. Beyond that, the second-year coach also asked him to prove to the quarterbacks that he will consistently be where he’s supposed to be when he’s supposed to be there, which will help gain their trust and allow him to play faster.
Benson has a real shot to make the roster, but in a room with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds, DJ Chark Jr. and eventually Jameson Williams, that’s no promise.
Even if he makes the 53-man team, competing with the above group to get on the field is a battle in itself. Somewhere he can separate himself, though, is on special teams, where Campbell said his toughness could set him apart.
“I think he can be a gunner,” Campbell said. “If we can feel that speed, and he continues to catch the ball and do what he’s done in spring, and then he comes out and competes at a gunner on special teams, I think that serves him well (and) serves us well.”
rsilva@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Rich_Silva18