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Michael Bennett Signs With the Cincinnati Bengals

By John Buhler

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Michael Bennett, former UGA wideout, gets his opportunity to play professionally in the NFL after signing a deal with the AFC’s Cincinnati Bengals.

Bennett had a strong but often-injured four seasons playing Between the Hedges for the Georgia Bulldogs.  Had he not torn his ACL in the bowl practices leading up to the Belk Bowl against the Louisville Cardinals in Charlotte, Michael Bennett would have likely gone in the middle rounds of the 2015 NFL Draft.

-= Georgia Bulldogs: Offense Coming Together =-

During his redshirt senior season in 2014 for Dawgs, Bennett played in 11 games catching 37 passes from QB Hutson Mason for 404 yards and 4 scores.  In his four-year career with UGA, Bennett caught 134 passes for 1,607 yards and 17 touchdowns.

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    • Coincidentally, the man whose roster spot Michael Bennett is taking is TE Jake Murphy, the son of Atlanta Braves legendary OF Dale Murphy.  With a deep TE group for the Bengals it’s understandable why Murphy wasn’t able to stick with the Bengals.

    While injuries are still a cause for concern with Michael Bennett since he is coming off his second ACL tear, the first coming against the South Carolina Gamecocks in 2012, his sophomore season, Bennett can still factor into a deep passing attack for QB Andy Dalton.

    Bennett joins many of his former teammates in Cincy including WR AJ Green and OL Clint Boling, who was finishing up at UGA during Bennett’s redshirt season.  Cincinnati is getting a sure-handed playmaker in Michael Bennett.  His competitiveness to fight for extra yardage might do well for Bengals OC Hue Jackson in his offense.

    -= Georgia Bulldogs: Top 5 Sophomores Entering 2015 =-

    In years past, the Cincinnati Bengals like to attack the middle of the field both on the ground and through the air.  I see the Bengals as having one of the more well-rounded passing attacks in the NFL, assuming that Andy Dalton doesn’t make a poor decision and throw untimely interceptions.

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    While Michael Bennett is not a deep threat like AJ Green, I can see him factoring in the short-to-mid range passing game for the Bengals as a competent possession receiver.  More often than not, when either Aaron Murray or Hutson Mason would target Bennett between the hash marks, Michael would make a play on the ball and help the Dawgs move the chains.

    My guess is that Michael Bennett has to prove that he can stay healthy before he can contend for a 53-man roster spot.  If he plays a strong final three preseason games for the Cincinnati Bengals, then perhaps he does stick on their practice squad.  That’s not a bad spot for a guy that is coming off an ACL tear that resulted in him not being drafted.  Good luck in Cincy, Bennett!

    Next: Georgia Bulldogs: RB Corps Like Where Unit Stands

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