Watkins or Evans, ... just curious ...

[Fletch]

I realize that Evans was not available with our 9th overall, but let's assume that it wouldn't have taken next year's 1st-rounder to trade up to get him. My position has been that Evans will end up being both the better rookie and better NFL WR over the years for reasons that I've explained.

As a guide, Cleveland traded our 9th overall and their 5th rounder for Minnesota's 8th overall. So assume that we had traded 1st's along with any other single pick that wasn't next year's 1st rounder.

Put yourself in the GM chair. Would you have traded away our 1st and 4th next year to get Watkins, or would you have simply swapped 1st's along with another later pick in this year's draft and taken Evans?

I'll bookmark the thread and we'll come back in the fall and reevaluate.

I'm just curious.

[OpIv37]

I don't know enough about either guy, but I have a hard time believing that the difference between Watkins and Evans will be worth next year's first round pick.

[better days]

I am going out on a limb & voted for Sammy because I have faith in Whaley.

Whaley put his reputation on the line with that trade so he must think Watkins is a future HOF type player.

So far, so good.

[JoeMama]

I realize that Evans was not available with our 9th overall, but let's assume that it wouldn't have taken next year's 1st-rounder to trade up to get him. My position has been that Evans will end up being both the better rookie and better NFL WR over the years for reasons that I've explained.

As a guide, Cleveland traded our 9th overall and their 5th rounder for Minnesota's 8th overall. So assume that we had traded 1st's along with any other single pick that wasn't next year's 1st rounder.

Put yourself in the GM chair. Would you have traded away our 1st and 4th next year to get Watkins, or would you have simply swapped 1st's along with another later pick in this year's draft and taken Evans?

I'll bookmark the thread and we'll come back in the fall and reevaluate.

I'm just curious.

I disagree that Mike Evans is the better prospect.

He was in a prolific offense with one of the NCAA's all-time greats at quarterback throwing him the ball. Making it a possibility his draft value was inflated. Watkins did it at Clemson with Tajh Boyd at the helm.

I don't know how the perceived "value" of the trade will play out, but I like Watkins over Evans if we're strictly evaluating talent. He has more upside to be a game breaker. His speed, elusiveness, route running, and freakish ability to move after the catch give him the edge.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

It's not a poll option, but I would have made the same trade to take Khalil Mack.

[cookie G]

I disagree that Mike Evans is the better prospect.

He was in a prolific offense with one of the NCAA's all-time greats at quarterback throwing him the ball. Making it a possibility his draft value was inflated. Watkins did it at Clemson with Tajh Boyd at the helm.

I don't know how the perceived "value" of the trade will play out, but I like Watkins over Evans if we're strictly evaluating talent. He has more upside to be a game breaker. His speed, elusiveness, route running, and freakish ability to move after the catch give him the edge.

Very good..I pretty much agree with all of it. I have no problems with Watkins as a player, I just wouldn't have given up next year's 1st, not with the QB situation a question mark.

[don137]

What guarantee is there we would of had a dance partner to trade up to fifth or sixth spot or not of overpaid to do so?
If Watkins ends up being the next AJ Green or Julio Jones for the next 10 years I will be happy with the trade.

[Ed]

We gave up a 1st and 4th to move up to #4, but only have to give up a 3rd or 4th to move up to #5 or #6? That looks like a bad assumption.

[better days]

I just saw an interview with former Bucs QB Chris Sims.

He said he thinks Sammy is the best WR to be drafted since Calvin Johnson & thinks that Sammy will have the best career of all the receivers drafted this year.

[John Doe]

Wasn't Evans shut down by our 4th round draft pick?

[stuckincincy]

I just saw an interview with former Bucs QB Chris Sims.

He said he thinks Sammy is the best WR to be drafted since Calvin Johnson & thinks that Sammy will have the best career of all the receivers drafted this year.

SB here we come...

[better days]

SB here we come...

From your lips to Gods ears.

[kishoph]

I'll admit at first I liked Evans because of his size, but a couple months before the draft Watkins was getting a lot of good things said about him and when you look at their scouting draft reports, it seems like a no-brainer. Of course either of them could go either way, but I think that Watkins has a lot more upside were he can be a threat anywhere on the field and Evans is going to be a red zone threat at best. JMO

As far who will have the better rookie season, Watkins could end up as the legitimate #1 for the Bills in his 1st year, Evans is not going to be moving Vincent Jackson out of his spot or taking away too many of his targets. My prediction, Watkins >65 rec. / Evans 45< rec.

[OpIv37]

What guarantee is there we would of had a dance partner to trade up to fifth or sixth spot or not of overpaid to do so?
If Watkins ends up being the next AJ Green or Julio Jones for the next 10 years I will be happy with the trade.

This is a bit short-sighted.

What if we struggle on the OL and Cleveland uses the first they got from us to draft a LT who starts for the next 10 years and makes 5 Pro Bowls? Worst case scenario: what if EJ completely tanks and that pick is in the top 5 where we could get a top QB? Watkins may turn out to be the best WR ever but it won't matter if we don't have a QB that can get him the ball.

And yes, I'm aware that the opposite could happen: the Bills could do surprisingly well and leave Cleveland using the pick in the mid-20's, or Cleveland could draft a bust with it even if it ends up being first overall.

But either way, any future analysis about how successful this trade was will have to take into consideration the future state of the team and what we could have gotten if we kept that pick in addition to Watkins' success or failure.

[BuffaloRedleg]

This is ridiculous posturing so you can say "I told you so".

You are banking on the fact that EJ is going to stink it up and make Watkins look bad. No matter how well he performs, you are going to say that Watkins was a bad pick. We all know people like you. This is what you do on the internet. You can't possibly lose, because unless he takes us to the playoffs (he can't, the position isn't that important) he won't be worth what we gave up for him. Even if he makes the pro-bowl (he won't because EJ likely won't get him the ball) you can still argue it wasn't worth it. It's an argument you mostly can't lose because you can always paint it in your favor.

It is so transparent it is laughable.

Since you are going to bump this thread eventually I'll make my point that no matter what Watkins does you are going to argue that he underperformed. I would bet someone 1000 dollars of real money if it were done in secret without you knowing. That's how obvious you are.

EJ is going to fail to get him the ball enough, he's going to post slightly above average numbers anyways based on talent alone, and you are going to repost this and say HA I TOLD YOU ALL SO. Mark my words, that is exactly what is going to happen.

[Mr. Pink]

This is ridiculous posturing so you can say "I told you so".

You are banking on the fact that EJ is going to stink it up and make Watkins look bad. No matter how well he performs, you are going to say that Watkins was a bad pick. We all know people like you. This is what you do on the internet. You can't possibly lose, because unless he takes us to the playoffs (he can't, the position isn't that important) he won't be worth what we gave up for him. Even if he makes the pro-bowl (he won't because EJ likely won't get him the ball) you can still argue it wasn't worth it. It's an argument you mostly can't lose because you can always paint it in your favor.

It is so transparent it is laughable.

Since you are going to bump this thread eventually I'll make my point that no matter what Watkins does you are going to argue that he underperformed. I would bet someone 1000 dollars of real money if it were done in secret without you knowing. That's how obvious you are.

EJ is going to fail to get him the ball enough, he's going to post slightly above average numbers anyways based on talent alone, and you are going to repost this and say HA I TOLD YOU ALL SO. Mark my words, that is exactly what is going to happen.

I won't disagree on the EJ stinking it up part, he showed nothing to expect otherwise but even still Watkins will put up numbers. Stevie put up 52 catches in 12 games. There is no reason to not think Sammy can't go 70-1100-7. Someone needs to pick up the production lost by Stevie's departure and that someone will be Sammy.

Now if 70-1100-7 isn't good enough for someone, they're not very knowledgeable about the game simply based on what other receivers have done with poor QBs throwing them the ball. Especially guys who are the number 1 option in the passing game. I can list guys who have put up those types of numbers with bums throwing them ball but I don't feel that's needed when the Bills themselves have shown it can be done. Lee Evans - JP Losman, Stevie Johnson - Ryan Fitzpatrick.

There's no reason not to think EJ can't throw for about 200 yards a game and Watkins to have about a third of those yards.

[BuffaloRedleg]

I won't disagree on the EJ stinking it up part, he showed nothing to expect otherwise but even still Watkins will put up numbers. Stevie put up 52 catches in 12 games. There is no reason to not think Sammy can't go 70-1100-7. Someone needs to pick up the production lost by Stevie's departure and that someone will be Sammy.

Now if 70-1100-7 isn't good enough for someone, they're not very knowledgeable about the game simply based on what other receivers have done with poor QBs throwing them the ball. Especially guys who are the number 1 option in the passing game. I can list guys who have put up those types of numbers with bums throwing them ball but I don't feel that's needed when the Bills themselves have shown it can be done. Lee Evans - JP Losman, Stevie Johnson - Ryan Fitzpatrick.

There's no reason not to think EJ can't throw for about 200 yards a game and Watkins to have about a third of those yards.

You may be right. I think Watkins is good enough that he'll put up some pretty damn good numbers in a few years despite poor QB play. My point really is more about Fletch doing his shtick where he is posturing himself at an angle to be right about something that he will almost inevitably be right about from that angle. There is a very small chance that Watkins will be worth what we gave up for him due to both the fact that WRs are not going to stampede you into the playoffs and that the Bills will likely never have a great QB to throw him the ball.

Come this fall when he bumps this to say how smart he is I want to make sure that it's clear he isn't fooling everyone. He is going to argue exactly what you are saying- that 70-1100-7 isn't good enough.

If he doesn't make those numbers he'll argue that Watkins isn't good enough, and if he does make those numbers he'll argue that that production isn't good enough for what we gave up for him. There is literally no way that he can be wrong from his narrow point of view. It's a fairly simple strategy, but like I said most of us are smart enough to see what he is doing.

[ServoBillieves]

We drafted Watkins. Evans is in TB. Move along.

[OpIv37]

We drafted Watkins. Evans is in TB. Move along.

Disagree. If the Watkins decision is a bad one, it will hamstring this team for several years, just like picking Whitner, Maybin, and to a lesser extent trading up for McCargo did.

Decisions like this are what will make or break a team, and if it turns out to be the wrong one, the people responsible for it need to be held accountable. There has been WAY too little accountability at the top of this organization.

[better days]

Disagree. If the Watkins decision is a bad one, it will hamstring this team for several years, just like picking Whitner, Maybin, and to a lesser extent trading up for McCargo did.

Decisions like this are what will make or break a team, and if it turns out to be the wrong one, the people responsible for it need to be held accountable. There has been WAY too little accountability at the top of this organization.

Well, I agree. I already said Whaley has his reputation on the line with that trade for Watkins.

If Sammy is a bust, Whaley should be fired. And that is the reason I voted for Sammy in the poll.

Whaley is a smart guy & I think he knows the consequences if Sammy is a bust but he made the trade anyway.