Grantland says Sammy Watkins is pretty good

[trapezeus]

Re: Grantland says Sammy Watkins is pretty good

i wasn't sold on the trade up at the time, but seeing how it's playing out, it is nice to have a bonafide star at a position than a work in process thatyou hope to god outperforms and plays at a higher level.

i also think the watkins is playing injured as he has said and shown in his tapes an ability to thrive on contact. i believe that's largely the reason the bills have stayed away from his WR screens that he excells at. the other part is that hacket doesn't seem to have a plan. he just likes calling plays in.

[Albany,n.y.]

Re: Grantland says Sammy Watkins is pretty good

Sometimes you have to Watch the games & get your head out of the stat sheet to understand what's going on on the field. That's why the ones watching the games know Watkins is special. If you don't, you're either not watching the games or just don't get it.
If stats were so important, there wouldn't be film review. Meetings would consist of the coaches handing out stat sheets and everyone would go home 10 minutes after getting there. The NFL is a little more complicated than that. Some people who think the stats tell everything don't understand the NFL.

[Albany,n.y.]

Re: Grantland says Sammy Watkins is pretty good

The real irony of the Benjamin vs Watkins argument is that the 2nd best receiver in the draft wasn't Benjamin, it was Odell Beckham Jr. Unfortunately, he missed the 1st few games of the season, so Stat Boys don't have him on their radar, because his games so far don't get him on the national stat sheets.
If Stat Boy was making the case the Bills should have stayed where they were & drafted Beckham, he'd have a lot more credibility.

[wolfpack]

Re: Grantland says Sammy Watkins is pretty good

The real irony of the Benjamin vs Watkins argument is that the 2nd best receiver in the draft wasn't Benjamin, it was Odell Beckham Jr. Unfortunately, he missed the 1st few games of the season, so Stat Boys don't have him on their radar, because his games so far don't get him on the national stat sheets.
If Stat Boy was making the case the Bills should have stayed where they were & drafted Beckham, he'd have a lot more credibility.

[YardRat]

Re: Grantland says Sammy Watkins is pretty good

Great post trap, thanks!

I disagree on Benjamin. I saw him play at FSU and have gone out of my way to watch him some at Carolina. He makes the catches too.

I also still say that this notion that Watkins is the kind of WR that has to be accounted for, above and beyond the norm, is premature. We'll see as things progress. He's had two great games, one good game, and hasn't done much in four others. It's not like he's become a regular at doing this and I'd like to see it against some teams and Ds besides Chicago and Minnesota as well.

Benjamin is 6'5" compared to Watkins 6'1" and 30 lbs. lighter. Benjamin is more that mold of those WRs that you say need to be accounted for and his collegiate accolades were nothing to laugh at and he posted better games against their tougher competition. It has nothing to do with "my precious Benjamin." If Benjamin were on our team you'd all be switching stances.

But again, would it have been better to have had our 1st and 4th's next season and Benjamin, or Watkins?

Time will tell but right now Benjamin's the better NFL WR both visually, in terms of consistency, as well as statistically. He's a huge RZ target, the kind that everyone said Williams was, but Benjamin's actually playing that way.

Considering the Patriots decided to blanket Watkins with Revis for the entire game as part of their game plan, it certainly isn't premature.

[BuffaloRedleg]

Re: Grantland says Sammy Watkins is pretty good

I don't think anyone thought he wouldn't be good or great, but he'd need to be a Hall of Famer to be worth what we gave up or get us into the playoffs.

If we draft Top 15 next year and can't use our pick everyone should be fired. You make the bed you sleep in it.

[billser]

Re: Grantland says Sammy Watkins is pretty good

I don't think anyone thought he wouldn't be good or great, but he'd need to be a Hall of Famer to be worth what we gave up or get us into the playoffs.

If we draft Top 15 next year and can't use our pick everyone should be fired. You make the bed you sleep in it.

Considering how bad our past 1st rounders have been, I'm ok with what we did. Rather have sammy than Kevlin Benjamin along with a MIke Williams/ cj spiller/ Ej manuel/ stephon Gilmore etc combo. These 1st rounders are wayyyyy overrated, hence why picking up an almost sure player is worth it.

[billser]

Re: Grantland says Sammy Watkins is pretty good

All we've done is picked up meaningless mid 1st round players for two decades, sorry if I don't mind that for once we tried to hit a home run.

[billser]

Re: Grantland says Sammy Watkins is pretty good

Go look at what we would've picked up instead. Browns took Justin Gilbert with what would have been our pick, he's currently behind an undrsfted guy and not playing. Go look at what Eric Ebron is doing. We would've picked a nonsense guy, along with another likely nonsense guy next yr.

[Novacane]

Re: Grantland says Sammy Watkins is pretty good

Sometimes you have to Watch the games & get your head out of the stat sheet to understand what's going on on the field. That's why the ones watching the games know Watkins is special. If you don't, you're either not watching the games or just don't get it.
If stats were so important, there wouldn't be film review. Meetings would consist of the coaches handing out stat sheets and everyone would go home 10 minutes after getting there. The NFL is a little more complicated than that. Some people who think the stats tell everything don't understand the NFL.

Or your name is fletch, you have an agenda and will never admit being wrong

[casdhf]

Re: Grantland says Sammy Watkins is pretty good

All we've done is picked up meaningless mid 1st round players for two decades, sorry if I don't mind that for once we tried to hit a home run.

This guy

[JoeMama]

Re: Grantland says Sammy Watkins is pretty good

A lot of people complained about Kyle Orton's throw to Watkins that was well behind him on the game winning drive vs Detroit.

But the amazing catch Watkins made is a good example of why we traded up to get him.

That's the kind of dazzling talent that few receivers possess. The kid is just a monster. And I stick by my guns he's worth every penny in the draft. He has a rare skill set that will set him up as an elite receiver for years to come.

Tough break losing a 1st and a 4th to get Watkins, but consider the upside of a top 5 receiver for the next decade a fair trade-off.

Revis got the best of him in Week 6 but you won't see too many NFL CB's enjoy that level of success against him. He possesses too many superlatives to be simply and above average WR.

We got a gamebreaker on our hands and it's something we've desperately needed for years.

Long live the Fort Myers native.

[BuffaloRedleg]

Re: Grantland says Sammy Watkins is pretty good

Considering how bad our past 1st rounders have been, I'm ok with what we did. Rather have sammy than Kevlin Benjamin along with a MIke Williams/ cj spiller/ Ej manuel/ stephon Gilmore etc combo. These 1st rounders are wayyyyy overrated, hence why picking up an almost sure player is worth it.

I guess you are right. I agree in theory with you very much (although those other 2 guys have been very good). The thing that pisses me off is that okay they went all in but then they play baloneytown with the QB position and with team specific matchups. If you are going to go all in, then go all in.

If you are going to go all in, don't ignore your premier player against the division champs Patriots. And don't gimme those typical garbage punt at the 42 yard line when it is 4th and 1. If you are all in and going for it then do it. I'm sure you watched Jeremy White's analysis on WGR against Revis and Sammy was open a ton. He just wasn't part of the gameplan at all, he was #3 at best on all routes. That is garbage coaching.

I love Sammy a ton, and I am incredibly happy we have him. But with our QB situation I mean I can't see how he is worth a bottom 15 pick next year to get a new QB. If we finish outside of 15, well maybe I'm wrong, but damn I'm sick of waiting for a franchise QB.

[better days]

Re: Grantland says Sammy Watkins is pretty good

I guess you are right. I agree in theory with you very much (although those other 2 guys have been very good). The thing that pisses me off is that okay they went all in but then they play baloneytown with the QB position and with team specific matchups. If you are going to go all in, then go all in.

If you are going to go all in, don't ignore your premier player against the division champs Patriots. And don't gimme those typical garbage punt at the 42 yard line when it is 4th and 1. If you are all in and going for it then do it. I'm sure you watched Jeremy White's analysis on WGR against Revis and Sammy was open a ton. He just wasn't part of the gameplan at all, he was #3 at best on all routes. That is garbage coaching.

I love Sammy a ton, and I am incredibly happy we have him. But with our QB situation I mean I can't see how he is worth a bottom 15 pick next year to get a new QB. If we finish outside of 15, well maybe I'm wrong, but damn I'm sick of waiting for a franchise QB.

The thing is, that was a move Whaley made, going all in to get Sammy, balls of steel.

It is on Marrone , Hackett & the QB that Sammy was ignored.

I agree about the punting, once the ball crosses the 50 yd line I would not punt.

[YardRat]

Re: Grantland says Sammy Watkins is pretty good

The thing is, that was a move Whaley made, going all in to get Sammy, balls of steel.

It is on Marrone , Hackett & the QB that Sammy was ignored.

I agree about the punting, once the ball crosses the 50 yd line I would not punt.

Granted on the first two points, but...

With this offensive line (obviously considering specific game conditions and situations) if there isn't a legitimate shot at a FG you have to punt. It's actually recognition by the head coach of the team's strength (defense) and weakness (offense, particularly the running game). Would you rather Marrone ignored the obvious and continually gifted the opponent field position and ball possession at mid-field?