Kelvin Benjamin was traded to the Buffalo Bills at the 2017 NFL trade deadline, ending an up-and-down four-year tenure with Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers.

Benjamin was drafted 28th overall by the Panthers in 2014, and registered 73 catches for 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns in his rookie season. But a torn ACL injury sidelined him for all of 2015, as Benjamin had to watch his team play in Super Bowl 50 (a 24-10 loss to the Denver Broncos), from the sidelines.

In a recent interview with The Athletic's Tim Graham (via Nick Carboni from WCNC), Benjamin took a shot at his former quarterback and team, explaining why he wasn't in position to flourish in Carolina.

Benjamin elaborated on Twitter:

Benjamin returned in 2016 and had a respectable 63 catches for 941 yards and seven touchdowns, but he wore out his welcome in Carolina last year. Benjamin had just 32 catches for 475 yards and two touchdowns in eight games for the Panthers, before getting traded to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for third and seventh round picks.

But the Bills didn't prove to be a much better fit for Benjamin. The rush-happy offense didn't use him much in 2017, as Benjamin caught just 16 passes for 217 yards and a touchdown. The Bills did end an 18-year playoff drought, however, and there is optimism that Benjamin can rebound in 2018.

via Sportsnet

The quarterback-hungry Bills traded Tyrod Taylor to the Cleveland Browns, then signed career backup A.J. McCarron before moving up to land Wyoming quarterback, Josh Allen. Now with two quality pocket passers in Buffalo, Benjamin may finally reach a Pro Bowl form that he seemingly didn't feel in Carolina.

Benjamin displays good size and incredible all-around athleticism, but he and the Panthers just weren't able to recreate that magic from his 2014 campaign. He gets another chance to get back to those numbers in 2018, with a new quarterback.

NEXT: RECENT TRADES (AND SIGNINGS) NFC EAST TEAMS WANT BACK