Sammy Watkins heading to LA

In the midst of the Zeke Elliot suspension news came a bombshell trade out of Buffalo (one of two) involving former Tiger superstar Sammy Watkins. Watkins, coming off an injury marred season, was already sent a message from the Bills organization when they declined his fifth year option, making Sammy a free agent following this season. When healthy, Watkins has been the serious playmaker that fans expected to see when he was drafted 4th overall (with the Bills trading up to get him). Watkins has the fourth highest yards per catch number in the NFL since his rookie campaign, and this was with substandard QB play in Buffalo. Tyrod Taylor is probably the best QB that has been there during his time and he was hurt for most of Taylor’s first year running the show. However, he now heads to another city without a clear cut QB in Los Angeles.

The Rams are in year two of the Jared Goff experiment and are also breaking in a new coaching staff. It is a critical season for Watkins considering he is in the final year of his rookie contract. His best chance of landing the best deal of his career would be this next contract while he is still young and growing. He now faces the challenge of learning a new system with the first preseason game already played. It will be imperative that Watkins stay healthy, first and foremost, and find a way to show his explosive abilities in the face of a likely struggle for the Rams while Goff tries to figure things out. It is very interesting the Rams would throw a very valuable second round pick in the Watkins deal for what essentially might be a one year rental. This deal would have been sweeter for LA had Buffalo picked up that fifth year option giving Sammy two years on the current deal.

I know Clemson nation will be rooting for Watkins to emerge from the player graveyard that Buffalo has been and make the Bills look like idiots while also getting paid big time WR1 money in the offseason. I certainly don’t mind the trade out of Buffalo but the landing spot is a little dubious in my opinion. Comment away folks!