Eno Benjamin wouldn’t delve into the circumstances that resulted in him landing in a third different NFL locker room in the span of two months, but one thing was certain: He’s glad to be where he’s at.
If you travel back in time to Week 7 and following a stellar, 123-yard performance against the New Orleans Saints on national television, he’d have never envisioned departing the Arizona Cardinals teams that drafted him in the 7th round of 2020. But that’s exactly what happened when he was surprisingly cut on Nov. 14. The 23-year-old landed with the Houston Texans through waivers, but he lasted just three-plus weeks there before arriving in New Orleans with the Saints through another round of waivers.
"I guess that’s just kind of how the league goes," Benjamin said, speaking to the media in New Orleans for the first time this week. "When it’s your time and it’s your time to move on, you move on and so I don’t really try to look back it too much, just more so where you’re going and how to handle that.”
Texans head coach Lovie Smith told reporters “sometimes divorce is a good thing,” regarding Benjamin’s departure, and a talented player bouncing from team to team will generate more than fair questions about exactly what mentality a player is bringing into the room with him. But Benjamin was all smiles after his first practice with the team, donning No. 31.
It could be a sign that New Orleans, one of the teams that had put a claim on him initially but got beat out by Houston, was where he wanted to be all along. It also helps that Benjamin has known Saints running backs coach Joel Thomas since he was 14 and Thomas was recruiting him to attend Arkansas.
“You have … your agent getting calls from certain teams saying this and that, but there’s no certainty,” Benjamin said. "I would say, just looking at the list and just the way it went, I was hoping that it would’ve been the Saints that I went to. So, like I said, I’m glad I’m here.”
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It’s difficult to know exactly how quickly Benjamin can acclimate to another offense on the fly, but there’s undoubtedly a role to be taken when he gets to that point. Veteran Mark Ingram landed on injured reserve this week after another knee injury suffered during the Week 13 loss to the Tampa Bay Bucs. Another veteran David Johnson was signed to the active roster this week, and he’d likely be the first in line to fill in behind Alvin Kamara while Benjamin gets up to speed.
That could be a temporary setup, though. Offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael flashed a grin when asked about Benjamin’s skillset, one the team got a look at up close and personal during that 42-32, Thursday Night Football loss in Arizona.
He's a player that has been productive in limited opportunity throughout his three NFL seasons, carrying the ball 107 times for 418 yards and two TDs, along with 30 catches for 226 yards. His biggest performance came with 92 yards rushing and a touchdown against the Saints in Week 7. Benjamin has also been credited with 10 broken tackles this season, per Pro Football Reference, on his 97 touches. For perspective, Kamara has been credited with 11 broken tackles on his 194 touches.
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“[Benjamin’s] a guy that we saw, runs hard, makes good decisions. He’s got great feet and so it’s nice to have him out there," Carmichael said. "We’re excited to have him and just to get more work with him.”
While the Saints aren’t mathematically eliminated from the NFC South race yet, it feels more like a when than an if in that regard, even in a depressed and ever-more-depressing division that again features four sub-.500 records. A team that doesn’t have much youth to speak of now has a promising young RB they can give good run and even potentially feature, with an eye on bringing him back for 2023 if things go well.
He might even make you do a double-take when you see him on the field as he dons the same back-of-the-arm tape that Kamara has made a calling card throughout his career. The reason he wears it? He saw AK do it, and he’s a fan.
"He's one of those guys that I've been studying for quite some time," Benjamin said. "I'm a huge fan of his game. ... So I'm just kind of looking forward to seeing what all he could do and what all he could teach me, as well."
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