When the Buffalo Bills traded away Sammy Watkins, general manager Brandon Beane tried to tell fans that the team was still going to contend this season. He told fans that the Bills weren't going to "throw in the towel" on the season. He tried to play up the acquisition of Anquan Boldin. On Sunday, Boldin announced his retirement from football, and now Beane has no way of beating around the bush. The Bills are going into a full rebuild.

Boldin's retirement

Boldin leaves the game with nearly 14,000 receiving yards. Boldin has a reputation as one of the toughest football players in the league.

Boldin once came back in a season from a jaw injury and even played in a game with his jaw wired shut. He won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens in 2012 and also appeared in a Super Bowl with the Arizona Cardinals in 2009.

Boldin leaves the game with a focus on advocacy work. He has helped numerous families, including funding 14 four-year scholarships for kids wanting to go to college. He and his wife are going to continue to speak up on gun violence. Boldin's cousin was shot down in 2015 by a fully clothed police officer. With a leave from football, Boldin is going to continue to try and make a difference in the world.

Embracing a rebuild

The Bills traded away their top receiving threat in Watkins to the Los Angeles Rams and traded away one of their top cornerbacks in Ronald Darby.

Jordan Matthews was a nice addition, but he did not compare to Watkins' numbers in 2015. The team has not made the playoffs since 1999, and are looking at another year of missing out.

It's not crazy to believe that quarterback Tyrod Taylor and running back Lesean Mccoy are on the trading block. With Taylor's declining play in the preseason, the Bills could cut Taylor in the near future.

Taylor took less money to return with the Bills, but he could be scouted by other teams.

The Bills could trade McCoy this season. The Houston Texans are a possible contender to try and trade for McCoy. The Texans already have a running back in Lamar Miller, but McCoy is certainly more talented. The Minnesota Vikings also make sense for McCoy.

The team just lost Adrian Peterson to the New Orleans Saints. The team signed Latavius Murray, but again, McCoy is a drastic upgrade. There are no serious rumors of McCoy leaving. However, if the Bills see a slide of losses, the rumor mill could heat up. The Bills appear to not be worried about wins this season, and McCoy could bring in a nice haul of draft picks.