After a couple days to digest this, here are my thoughts. The Bills offense will be no worse than they were last year because Watkins wasn't even on the field last year and they did pretty good. Our defense was the reason we didn't make the playoffs, not Sammy's absence.
That said, if we kept Sammy, I think it would've been worth the difference between a 2nd and a 3rd comp pick (if we don't sign him). It would've been worth it to see if he could turn it around. My guess is they had no intention, for good or bad, of resigning him next season. Declining the 5th year option supports this. So, I suppose it was best to get what you could, a 2nd rounder. This trade had nothing to do with EJ Gaines. He was a toss in.