Did the Bills pay too much to move up for Watkins?

[smapdi]

No, they did not.

 

Watkins was the #1 player on their board. He is the best offensive player in a very deep draft. I think being able to get your #1 rated player is well worth a future 1st and 4th.

 

On top of that, they managed to hang on to #41 which was brillant. They will get a 1st round talent there. This draft is so deep, there is a chance the guy thru get at 41 will be better then whomever they could get with that 2015 1st.

 

A pick today is much more valuable then one a year from now.

 

Moving up to 1 overall would've cost our 1st and 2nd this year and at least a 2015 1st and 3rd. The Bills managed to get their top rated player for just a 1st and a 4th in a year.

[Mr. WEO]

Hear, hear! Buy this WEO a

 

I take it! Thanks

[3rdand12]

We just used two #1 picks to upgrade Stevie Johnson to Sammy Watkins.

 

BRB heading to the liquor store.

you mean a seventh and a1st next year that could be at 25 ?

General consensus all along is the kids a starter , the real deal , and all the intangibles too. Work Ethic , attitude knowledge commitment.

I was not a fan of the pick. But he is probably well worth the trade .

As mentioned i just hope EJ is as good as Brandon says he is

Go Bills

Edited May 9, 2014 by 3rdand12

[K-9]

I certainly was paying attention. I was more obsessed then than I am now, which is saying a lot..........My guess is that 15-20% of Bills fans were negative about it, at the most. And, this trade is 40% or so against it.

 

I know I was all for the Bennett trade and totally against this one. We had Kelly already.

 

So this is really about EJ Manuel.

 

While we all share your concerns, you can't pass up the opportunity to grab generational talent whenever you can. To surround a questionable QB with as much talent as possible. Watkins is every bit as special as a WR than Bennett was as an OLB. More-so in some regards. And nobody loved Bennett more as a college player than me.

 

EJ's gonna get his 1,000 attempts which, unless Hackett wants to set records for attempts this year, means EJ is here through 2015, anyway.

 

May as well start drinking heavily in the meantime.

 

GO BILLs!!!

[RJ (not THAT RJ)]

Come on, people, with the over-drama. One way or another, the Bills were going to use a first-round pick in the first round of this draft. That's what happens in the first round of a draft. That means the move cost a net of two picks: next year's first and fourth. The fourth (or better) has been replaced with the draft pick from SF for Stevie, who was worth more now than he would be later. So the Bills are a net of one draft pick down, next year's first.

 

Everything costs something. They got a good player, with terrific potential. That is also what one hopes will happen in the first round of the draft.

[bbb]

So this is really about EJ Manuel.

 

100%

[QCity]

you mean a seventh and a1st next year that could be at 25 ?

General consensus all along is the kids a starter , the real deal , and all the intangibles too. Work Ethic , attitude knowledge commitment.

I was not a fan of the pick. But he is probably well worth the trade .

As mentioned i just hope EJ is as good as Brandon says he is

Go Bills

 

lol let's jump in with both feet and just call it the 32nd pick.

[3rdand12]

lol let's jump in with both feet and just call it the 32nd pick.

: )

[The Dog]

Sammy grew up a bills fan, he has huge potential, he is mature. This was a perfect deal for the Bills and Buffalo!

Welcome to buffalo Sam Watkins.

[Wing Man]

No. This is a spectacular decision by an inspired front office. Following the trade of Stevie Johnson to SF, it will be interesting to see if they take Jace Amaro or Austin Seferian-Jenkins in round 2 and double down on offensive threat. They were ready to pull the trigger on Eric Ebron at 9 if the trade for Watkins fell through. Instead, the Lions, who probably were the other bidder for the Cleveland spot, get Ebron as the consolation prize. The other live option out there is the best LG in the draft, Xavier Su'a-Filo, who is still floating around out there. If he is still available at 41, we could finally have a replacement for Levitre and have drafted the best wide receiver (of the decade) and guard in the draft in exchange for next year's 1st round pick.

[bbb]

How the hell would pick #41 have anything to do with next year's first round pick??

[Tintonfallsbillsfan]

To move up from 9-4 would normanlly be a 2 plus something . They decided to give up next years one. Maybe it was cleveland Or maybe that is what the Bills were shopping either way this years 41 pick was kept and next years 1 was sent

so Let's say the pick a tackle or Jenkins, I ask you how much better of a player will you get at say 18 next year

[TXBILLSFAN]

Totally disagree with this. I remember being out that night - a Saturday Halloween, and EVERYBODY I talked to was so psyched............In fact, the only person I remember that thought Polian mortgaged the future, ironically, was John Murphy. IIRC, he said that for a number of years on his show - ironic in that now he would never go against what the Bills did or were about to do.

Same here --- I don't recall any significant backlash -- I just remember the excitement that first game Biscuit played ---- IDK --- maybe my circle of buddies in college were more positive or maybe my memory faded --- I also don't remember anyone wanting to run Polian out of town -- especially at that point -- he just signed Kelly, drafted Bruce, Conlan --- come on K-9, you gotta be kidding to get a rise out of us ??

[thewildrabbit]

To move up from 9-4 would normanlly be a 2 plus something . They decided to give up next years one. Maybe it was cleveland Or maybe that is what the Bills were shopping either way this years 41 pick was kept and next years 1 was sent

so Let's say the pick a tackle or Jenkins, I ask you how much better of a player will you get at say 18 next year

Just to put it in perspective a little, last year the Dolphins traded from #12 to #3, and all they gave up was a #2 pick. I suspect the Bills didn't want to give up any picks in this years draft, and think they will be picking in the later rounds next year.

 

Time will tell if this was a good or bad trade, and it all depends on how much impact Watkins has this season.

[bbb]

Just to put it in perspective a little, last year the Dolphins traded from #12 to #3, and all they gave up was a #2 pick. I suspect the Bills didn't want to give up any picks in this years draft, and think they will be picking in the later rounds next year.

 

Time will tell if this was a good or bad trade, and it all depends on how much impact Watkins Manuel has this season.

 

Fixed it

[Wing Man]

Everything depends on everything. But it's Whaley's butt on the line. Go bold or go home.

[BobbyC81]

I'm fine with the trade and I'm excited about Watkins. He was the only player I really felt was worth trading up for. It was a bold move but I like the attitude and message it sends to the team. Obviously we won't know if it was "worth it" for years and hindsight is always 20/20, but I think Watkins has potential to be a superstar. If we can add a tackle, and EJ progresses and stays healthy I think that for the first time in 15 years we're going to be relavent again.

 

So, along with Jerry Butler in 1979 and Perry Tuttle (Ugh!) in 1982, Watkins becomes the 3rd Clemson wide receiver taken by the Bills in the 1st round. Hopefully his career is more like Butler's than Tuttle.

[K-9]

Same here --- I don't recall any significant backlash -- I just remember the excitement that first game Biscuit played ---- IDK --- maybe my circle of buddies in college were more positive or maybe my memory faded --- I also don't remember anyone wanting to run Polian out of town -- especially at that point -- he just signed Kelly, drafted Bruce, Conlan --- come on K-9, you gotta be kidding to get a rise out of us ??

 

Not kidding at all. Bruce, Kelly, Reed lead us to a 4-12 record in '86. We were 3-4 when Polian pulled the trigger. When word got out that we gave a our 1st in '88, our 1st and 2nd in '89, and our former #1 draft choice in Greg Bell, there was a significant faction of fans that hated the deal. Very similar arguments were made to the arguments made today regarding Watkins. That we were more than just "an OLB away". It's not a surprise that the younger faction of fans at the time were more positive. Sounds like you and me were in that group. But like I said, if you didn't hear the arguments against Polian and how he mortgaged our future on the call-in shows and in the papers, you weren't paying attention.

 

Be that as it may, I realize the consternation with the deal seems to be tied to EJ Manuel. He has nothing at all to do with it. You don't pass up opportunities to collect elite talent while your QB develops and everyone waits to see if he pans out. There are many reasons for that. The assumption that next year's #1 would yield a better QB is far-fetched as the odds are against it to begin with and next year's draft is nothing more than ether at this time.

 

Watkins is an elite talent. And well worth the price to secure the sure thing this year.

 

Like I said, let's just agree to disagree.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[Big C]

Just remember how good the Vikings were when Peterson and Harvin were on the field. Of course, Harvin went down and Peterson had to put the team on his back down the stretch, but the point is with our talent at WR and RB, EJ only has to be as good as Ponder to get us to the playoffs. I think he'll be better.

[bbb]

Same here --- I don't recall any significant backlash -- I just remember the excitement that first game Biscuit played ---- IDK --- maybe my circle of buddies in college were more positive or maybe my memory faded --- I also don't remember anyone wanting to run Polian out of town -- especially at that point -- he just signed Kelly, drafted Bruce, Conlan --- come on K-9, you gotta be kidding to get a rise out of us ??

 

Now I remember everybody wearing the rose colored glasses. I thought it was just a Halloween thing.

 

Not kidding at all. Bruce, Kelly, Reed lead us to a 4-12 record in '86. We were 3-4 when Polian pulled the trigger. When word got out that we gave a our 1st in '88, our 1st and 2nd in '89, and our former #1 draft choice in Greg Bell, there was a significant faction of fans that hated the deal. Very similar arguments were made to the arguments made today regarding Watkins. That we were more than just "an OLB away". It's not a surprise that the younger faction of fans at the time were more positive. Sounds like you and me were in that group. But like I said, if you didn't hear the arguments against Polian and how he mortgaged our future on the call-in shows and in the papers, you weren't paying attention.

 

Be that as it may, I realize the consternation with the deal seems to be tied to EJ Manuel. He has nothing at all to do with it. You don't pass up opportunities to collect elite talent while your QB develops and everyone waits to see if he pans out. There are many reasons for that. The assumption that next year's #1 would yield a better QB is far-fetched as the odds are against it to begin with and next year's draft is nothing more than ether at this time.

 

Watkins is an elite talent. And well worth the price to secure the sure thing this year.

 

Like I said, let's just agree to disagree.

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

I think draft picks are way more valued now than they were 27 years ago.........And, like I keep saying, Kelly was the foundation to everything else. If we didn't have Kelly, I would have said Polian was stupid, too.