All eyes firmly on Buffalo Bills star wide receiver Sammy Watkins
As Sammy Watkins is coming into his fourth year with the Buffalo Bills, this may just be one of his biggest years yet. Only playing a little more than half the season last year — nine games — due to injury, he finished the season with only 430 yards receiving and a dismal two touchdowns on the season. This year though, all eyes in Buffalo and across the NFL are on him.
The biggest news that was released is that the Bills would not be using their fifth year option on Watkins. With players like Odell Beckham Jr. and Mike Evans from the 2014/2015 draft class having their option picked up, Sammy Watkins has to produce this season if he wants to stay in Buffalo.
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This is a strategic and safe move made by the Bills to not take up the option to have him for a fifth season. They are looking to see if the surgery he had in the offseason can sustain him to be able to have the season we know he can have — had he proved himself in his rookie season and in his second year.
With the drafting of Zay Jones and the free agent acquisition of Andre Holmes, Watkins will have some help taking the load off his shoulders. This may create better opportunities for him to get open since the defense will have other people they must watch for.
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Another interesting point to make is that with the firing of general manager Doug Whaley and the hiring of Brandon Beane — what will be done with Sammy Watkins? It will be interesting to see what comes out of this. This will be another opportunity for Sammy Watkins to start fresh and prove to new general manager Beane that he still is the franchise receiver that he was when the Bills traded up to get him.
If he does prove himself, and the team can’t come to an agreement but wants to give him another chance, they can always franchise tag him for that fifth season and come up with a deal later if he proves himself. In the end though, all eyes will be on Sammy Watkins this season as he goes out to prove that he is the fra18nchise wide receiver and does deserve the big contract at the end of the season.
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