After watching multi-million dollar worth of contracts being agreed on in the NBA, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins now wants more money for all Nfl Players. In a tweet, Watkins said, "we gotta get paid more I'm pretty sure 2014 class will change the market”. Watkins, who is expected to make $3.138 million in the coming season, will have a chance to earn a big payday when he hits unrestricted free agency next offseason after the Bills declined the fifth year on his contract.
However, according to the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA), all players are guaranteed to receive a certain percentage of league revenue, regardless of their draft class.
Watkins’ dream of getting higher deals in the NFL will not happen but teams can grant more guaranteed money to players. Also, the NBA can afford to pay more because it has only around 500 players while the NFL has around 2,000 players both in the 53-man roster and practice squads.
Recently, the Golden State Warriors signed two-time MVP Steph Curry to a five-year supermax deal worth $201 million. Blake Griffin signed a five-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers worth $175 million. In the NFL, Oakland Raiders quarterback David Carr became the highest-paid player in the league after signing a five-year deal worth $125 million.
Watkins must prove himself in the coming season
Watkins needs to prove that he’s one of the elite wide receivers in the league after recording just 28 catches for 430 yards and two touchdowns while playing just eight games in an injury-plagued 2016.
Watkins is still recovering from a foot surgery but he is expected to be ready by training camp.
While he never had a chance to work with Watkins on the field during OTAs, Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor said he liked what he saw from the wide receiver, saying he’s eating right and putting the right things in his body. A fourth overall pick by the Bills in 2014, Watkins tallied 153 catches for 2,459 yards and 17 touchdowns in his three seasons in Buffalo.
Ex-Bills running back banned for one year due to substance abuse
Meanwhile, the NFL has suspended former Bills running back Karlos Williams for one year for violating the league’s substance abuse policy for the third time. The NFL suspended Williams 10 games in November for the same violation. In 2015, Williams tallied 517 yards and seven touchdowns on 93 carries but he was released by the Bills in August. He signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers' practice squad in October but they released him March 9.
