The Buffalo Bills revamped their wide receiver corps by trading wideout Sammy Watkins and a 2018 sixth-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams for cornerback E.J. Gaines and a 2018 second-round selection. In a separate deal, the Bills acquired wideout Jordan Matthews and a 2018 third-round pick from the Philadelphia Eagles for cornerback Ronald Darby.
The trade will give Watkins a chance to get a fresh start in his career after he was drafted No. 4 by the Bills in the 2014 Draft. Watkins battled several injuries in his stint with the Bills, who were forced to decline the option on the final year of his rookie deal.
Watkins will be reunited in Los Angeles with former Bills wideout Robert Woods.
Watkins will also become the No. 1 target for second-year quarterback Jared Goff, who struggled in his rookie year without a solid target. Watkins is in the final year of his deal with the Bills but the Rams are expected to sign him to a contract extension or use the franchise tag. In his three years with the Bills, Watkins tallied 2,459 yards on 153 catches with 17 touchdowns.
Goff to benefit from Watkins trade
Watkins is expected to address the Rams’ lack of deep speed, which was obvious during training camp. Woods was the closest thing to a vertical receiver but it was not among his strengths. With Watkins, the Rams now have another threat at wide receiver that Goff can throw deep passes to.
In his rookie year, Goff tossed for 1,089 yards and five touchdowns with seven interceptions in seven starts for a disappointing rating of 63.6. The Rams can now put Watkins as top receiver with Woods sliding to No. 2. Rookie wideout Cooper Kupp will man the slot while Tavon Austin will be designated as fourth receiver. The Rams might trade Austin but the lack of guarantees in his contract after 2017 might drive away interested teams.
Bills in position to grab top QB in 2018 Draft
The two trades gave the Bills two picks in each of the first three rounds in the 2018 NFL Draft, which could feature top quarterbacks such as Sam Darnold of USC, Josh Rosen of UCLA, Wyoming's Josh Allen, and Louisville's Lamar Jackson. The Bills currently have Tyrod Taylor but they are not tied to him financially, with just $1 million of his 2018 contract guaranteed. Presently, the Bills have three quarterbacks on their roster – Taylor, nine-year veteran T.J. Yates, and rookie Nathan Peterman, whom they selected in the fifth round of the Draft.
