NFL Rumors: Sammy Watkins Signing Three-Year, $48-Million Deal With The Kansas City Chiefs
The Los Angeles Rams understood that there was a good chance Sammy Watkins would walk away in free agency when they decided not to use the franchise tag on him. They wanted to keep him, but once the bidding war began, the Rams knew the wide receiver would eventually push himself out of their price range. Now, Watkins is ready to move on to the next stage of his career.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Watkins has reportedly agreed to sign a three-year, $48-million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, with $30 million fully guaranteed. The deal is said to include a $21-million signing bonus, and he is set to earn $34 million in the first two years of the deal, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
Watkins was selected by the Buffalo Bills with the fourth overall pick in the 2014 draft, and he had two solid seasons with the team before a broken bone in his left foot forced him to miss half of the 2016 season.
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The Bills would go on to decline the fifth-year option on his contract, and he was shipped to the Rams before the start of the 2017 season in exchange for cornerback E.J. Gaines and a 2018 second-round pick.
Watkins was a costly acquisition for the Rams, so they have to be frustrated he decided to sign elsewhere.
In any case, Watkins is a great addition to the Chiefs' roster, and he should have a significant role in the offense this season.
"Adding Watkins gives Andy Reid a bevy of field-stretching targets with Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce," Kevin Patra said in his column for NFL Network.
"When healthy, Watkins owns speed to burn on the outside, a big body over the middle and proved last season in L.A. he can be a red zone threat. Pairing a player of Watkins talent with Hill and Kelce makes a ton of sense on paper. Watkins provides a red zone foil to Kelce and a deep-threat tandem for Hill," he continued.
