Bills make pair of surprise moves
I didn’t watch the Bills’ preseason game last night, so I
don’t know what the team looked like or how well they did. All I know is they
lost 17-10 against a team that has also gone 0-4 in Super Bowl appearances. So
when I got a tweet (follow @RPK2@KU) and one of my co-workers asked what was
going on at the EXACT SAME MOMENT, I just said ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
Look, I don’t know what to make of the new GM or the new
coach, and none of us will until they start playing regular season games with
real weight to them. But Sammy Watkins has been around for a few years now and
they’ve had the chance to see him up close, so my first guess is they know
something about his foot that we don’t. And if we don’t know it, chances are
the Rams don’t either.
Personally I don’t see Watkins blooming with Jared Goff
throwing to him, or with anybody throwing to him. I liked the kid but if he can’t
stay healthy he just eats up a roster spot and a hefty salary. Good for the
Bills to move that along. That said, I still hope he does alright. Just not ‘regrettably’
well.
I liked Ronald Darby working the corners. I thought he was
more consistent than Stephon Gilmore, so when the Watkins-for-E.J. Gaines deal
came through and the Bills had the opportunity to get Jordan Matthews for their
now-superfluous cornerback, I was more surprised with that than to hear they
traded their top wideout.
I see Darby like I saw Jason Peters when he went to Philly
after four years in Buffalo. He’ll still produce at a high level for a while
and the Eagles are going to be alright covering receivers when Darby is on the
turf.
All in all, I think these trades are a 6/10. Player-wise, I
think it’s a wash. I don’t think anyone got bamboozled like when LeSean McCoy
and Kiko Alonso traded places, but the Bills came away with a net win in terms
of salary. It’s not a substantial amount but it’s a plus.
Lastly, I like the team making these moves the day after
preseason game #1. It’ll give the new guys a few weeks to get acclimated with a
new system and hopefully they’ll be ready to roll in the season opener.
Go Bills, go, fight, win.
Editor's Note: Matt Birt is a former Buffalo Bills employee and possibly a future one as well.
Editor's Note: Matt Birt is a former Buffalo Bills employee and possibly a future one as well.