Was the trade for Watkins worth it?

[WhitewalkerInPhilly]

I'll paraphrase what's in my signature: If Sammy is a vital contributor who sends us to the playoffs and beyond, then yes. If not, and missing out on a starting OL player that Roman is likely going to need dooms us then no.

[Ontario51]

No.

[DC Greg]

Can't wait to see Sammy this year. I personally like the idea of Cassel hitting him on short crossers and giving him room to just do what he does. I think that could be a good combination.

 

So yes, I think it was a good trade, and I think Sammy is going to be a superstar.

[eball]

No.

 

So you prefer Hogan/Ebron over Watkins/Clay?

[thebandit27]

 

I'll never understand how obtaining a talented NFL WR to make up for the QB is viewed as, from a team building perspective, a great move. The idea that drafting Watkins via a trade up to help out Manuel is absurd, but given that EJM was Whaley's pick as well, not surprising.

 

And this was all done in April 2014 when the only QB's on the roster were EJM, Thad Lewis and Jeff Tuel. Then again, Whaley was acting in his own interest and the team president wouldn't oppose a move to improve both of their positions.

 

For the record, no one argues with Watkins' talent. The issue is, when allocating resources, why you'd go after receivers as San-O points out, when your OL and QB aren't good.

 

It's really quite simple: when you do fix the OL and QB, you want them to have established talent to work with. You may not agree with that, but let's be honest: it won them some games last year.

[Kirby Jackson]

 

I'll never understand how obtaining a talented NFL WR to make up for the QB is viewed as, from a team building perspective, a great move. The idea that drafting Watkins via a trade up to help out Manuel is absurd, but given that EJM was Whaley's pick as well, not surprising.

 

And this was all done in April 2014 when the only QB's on the roster were EJM, Thad Lewis and Jeff Tuel. Then again, Whaley was acting in his own interest and the team president wouldn't oppose a move to improve both of their positions.

 

For the record, no one argues with Watkins' talent. The issue is, when allocating resources, why you'd go after receivers as San-O points out, when your OL and QB aren't good.

To keep this circular argument going, you were bad at OL, WR, TE and QB last year. Getting an okay TE and potentially an okay OL in this draft does not solve your QB position. Getting a star WR does not solve your QB position either. Are you better with Ebron and Jake Fisher for example or Sammy Watkins? That is what this boils down to.

[BillsVet]

A few thoughts

 

- If we take Ebron and have our 1st round pick........we do not make the big play for Clay this year. imo Ebron has shown NOTHING that leads me to believe he is a fit for the offense Roman runs.....he doesnt block....he wasnt a major factor for his team in his first year.....this is not to say that Eric wont BECOME something in the future.....but in his first year he did not show it. Meanwhile.....Watkins was directly responsible for (and with injuries) for at least 3 wins in his rookie year.

 

- As it stand we have a mid round pick.....but a stacked roster. What player at that mid round pick is going to be so good that he is going to be a major factor in his first year? It certainly wont be a QB so what is the point? Meanwhile.....the bills sit with a stacked roster and have the ability to actually draft a QB in the second (if they choose to) with absolutely no expectations of needing to the be the immediate savior...they are gonna get the redshirt year that Manuel SHOULD have gotten (if one is drafted) because the bills stacked the roster with NFL talent and this includes Watkins going into his second year.

 

imo.....the trade was totally worth it......because we dont need that 1st round pick to come in and be the difference between winning and losing this year.

 

I know you can't bring yourself to criticize this team, but doesn't it make you wince that Whaley's 2 main options on Draft Day 2014 were to trade up for Watkins or take Ebron 9th?

[Chuck Wagon]

I hear the concerns regarding QB and Oline, but anyone who thinks Sammy doesn't help improve those spots is kidding themselves. Belichick himself said Watkins was the guy they game planned for and adjusted coverages towards. Woods is a nice player, but he isn't going to do that and Stevie never did as well. When you have a player that requires extra attention it changes the dimensions of the defense, a safety needs to shade over instead of sneaking into the box and it opens up lanes. Anyone who can't see the positive impact a true #1 wr has on a team, even a team that wants to go "ground & pound" and doesn't have a QB, just isn't going to understand. Look no further than the Pats offense, it's a completely different animal when Gronk is healthy. You can scheme all you want, at the end of the day it's a game of inches that comes down to playmakers being able to make plays. Our offense and team as a whole is better off with Sammy than with Ebron and whoever goes 19 this year.

[Chilly]

I think so. Especially with this draft, perfect time to do it.

[Tony P]

 

 

[Beef Jerky]

OBJ can't even hold Watkins jock. If Watkins had Eli last year he probably would have set the league record in yards and TDs.

[LOVEMESOMEBILLS]

I've seen articles about the subject, but was not able to find a thread. But the articles raise the question of whether the Bills trade for Sammy Watkins was worth it. They obviously gave their first last year and now the #19 this year. So here's my take on the subject.

 

I want to first get something very straight. The Bills had only two wide receivers that they would have taken at #9 last year, and that's Sammy Watkins and Mike Evans. There's no way anyone could convince me that Sammy wouldn't have gone early had the Bills not traded up to get him, nor that Tampa Bay had their sites set firmly on Mike Evans.

 

Given that fact set, the Bills wouldn't have reached for the third best WR on the board in Odell Beckham, Jr. over the unilateral best TE in the draft class. So instead of Sammy Watkins, they would have likely picked Eric Ebron. You might say they would have taken a tackle at that point, but that would be based on hindsight that our offensive line wasn't good last year and that Chris Williams didn't turn out as good as expected.

 

So what would that have meant for this year assuming everything else is a constant? First, there would be zero reason to go get Clay in free agency. After all, Ebron is your guy of the future. He can't block worth a damn, but he looks like a decent TE at times. So at #19, they probably would have been looking at the 4th or 5th best WR in this years draft class. Best case scenario Green-Beckham slides to them and worst (and more likely) scenario is they have to reach for a Phillip Dorsett or Nelson Agholor. Personally, I would rather have Watkins/Clay than the alternative. The Bills in free agency have effectively rendered the 19th pick useless to them by virtue of the trade last year for Sammy. Thoughts?

To the bolded part first. At no time did Ebron look decent. Now lets look at what he did last year 25 Rec. 248 yds. 1TDs. That's on average 1.5 Rec. 15 yds. .0625 Tds a game. He had more than 3 Rec. in a game once with Stafford throwing him the ball. I agree with you on the rest of your assessment as I would rather have Watkins/Clay with no first rounder this year.

 

 

I'll never understand how obtaining a talented NFL WR to make up for the QB is viewed as, from a team building perspective, a great move. The idea that drafting Watkins via a trade up to help out Manuel is absurd, but given that EJM was Whaley's pick as well, not surprising.

 

And this was all done in April 2014 when the only QB's on the roster were EJM, Thad Lewis and Jeff Tuel. Then again, Whaley was acting in his own interest and the team president wouldn't oppose a move to improve both of their positions.

 

For the record, no one argues with Watkins' talent. The issue is, when allocating resources, why you'd go after receivers as San-O points out, when your OL and QB aren't good.

I don't understand how you don't take a talent like Watkins when you have the opportunity regardless of your QB or OL talent. Playmakers win games in the NFL. You take them whenever you get the chance.

[The Jokeman]

Here's the real question - If Odell Beckham didn't do what he did, would this still even be a discussion?

Odell's stats were inflated. With cruz injured He was routinely targeted far more than Watkins toward the end of the season and sat what you want but Eli > Orton. I say this as one who hated the trade after last years draft but come around to accepting it because SJ13 & Mike Williams are no longer here.

[Chuck Wagon]

Odell's stats were inflated. With cruz injured He was routinely targeted far more than Watkins toward the end of the season and sat what you want but Eli > Orton. I say this as one who hated the trade after last years draft but come around to accepting it because SJ13 & Mike Williams are no longer here.

 

 

Oh I complete agree. The Giants got to a point last year where they almost exclusively threw the ball to ODB. They also got their butts kicked a lot. I'm sure Sammy would have impressed a lot more people had he gotten 20 targets per game while we got smoked.

[John from Riverside]

 

I'll never understand how obtaining a talented NFL WR to make up for the QB is viewed as, from a team building perspective, a great move. The idea that drafting Watkins via a trade up to help out Manuel is absurd, but given that EJM was Whaley's pick as well, not surprising.

 

And this was all done in April 2014 when the only QB's on the roster were EJM, Thad Lewis and Jeff Tuel. Then again, Whaley was acting in his own interest and the team president wouldn't oppose a move to improve both of their positions.

 

For the record, no one argues with Watkins' talent. The issue is, when allocating resources, why you'd go after receivers as San-O points out, when your OL and QB aren't good.

Because when you draft for need it ends up not working out more then not......

 

If the scouting for the bills tells Whaley that Watkins is special......like once every so many years special......then you do it.

 

Can you really fault the team for being aggressive? I LOVE that they have been aggressive since Whaley took the helm. The team is LOADED with talent....and has the same QB issues that most of the teams in the NFL do.

 

And yes.....you do draft a great WR when you have a middling QB......do you see what the Cinci QB looks like without his great WR on the field?

 

You draft the guy who can make plays on poorly thrown balls and still make something happen (which we have seen Watkins do several times)

 

You know vet.....I keep asking it...not a lot of responses. What would YOU have done to fix this....what other moves would YOU have made that Whaley did not.....and keep in mind that a lot of things fall through behind the scenes that we never see......

 

I know you can't bring yourself to criticize this team, but doesn't it make you wince that Whaley's 2 main options on Draft Day 2014 were to trade up for Watkins or take Ebron 9th?

Sometimes its the pick you DONT make that ends up being a great move....

 

These GM's are not perfect. Whaley has also made a lot of very GOOD moves as GM

[DC Tom]

I vote maybe.

[JohnC]

How was drafting Ebron and having pick 19 (or 12 or whatever it would have been without Watkins) going to fix this?

Just to let you know where I stand I have supported the move to draft him. But in hindsight (that is what we are doing here) would we have been better off trading down and getting an additional pick or so and keeping this year's first pick and then selecting either Bridgewater or Carr as our franchise qb? Would possibly getting our franchise qb last year resolve an issue that has plagued this franchise since the retirement of Kelly and has gone on for litterally a generation. I like both qbs and believe both will be good (not elite) qbs in this league.

[BuffaloBaumer]

As someone who absolutely hated it when it happened and hated it more as the season went on, I think it was absolutely great in hindsight. This draft looks to be miles below what previous drafts have been and having the pick at 19, forget about it. Ebron plus 19 is nowhere near what Sammy COULD be.

[John from Riverside]

 

 

Oh I complete agree. The Giants got to a point last year where they almost exclusively threw the ball to ODB. They also got their butts kicked a lot. I'm sure Sammy would have impressed a lot more people had he gotten 20 targets per game while we got smoked.

I know that this is turning into a odb vs sammy thing and i dont want it to......

 

I will say this.....I dont like that i cannot appreciate ODB as being a great unpredicted gem of a player for another team in another division and still cannot apprecate Sammy Watkins the player on this board.

 

Sammy is going to be a special player....for US..it doesnt matter to me what other teams do....OUR team is loaded with talent...they have made good moves......they have a new owner and a brash great defensive minded coach.

 

I want to love OUR player......and appreciate what the team has done.

[thebandit27]

Odell's stats were inflated. With cruz injured He was routinely targeted far more than Watkins toward the end of the season and sat what you want but Eli > Orton. I say this as one who hated the trade after last years draft but come around to accepting it because SJ13 & Mike Williams are no longer here.

 

22 targets for Beckham in Week 17 alone.

 

I also just read today that 54 of the 124 targets Watkins received were "uncatchable" according to PFF (for whatever that's worth).