Why was Sammy Watkins a bust?

[Chandler#81]

Glass Watkins? Why would you ask? 🤔

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

3 hours ago, ngbills said:

Well he caught for 1,000 his first two season with a very limited passing attack. I think the Bills broke him. Maybe it was the bust status and it got to his head. Injuries got to him. 

it was all the fans he told " to get a life and go to work" and "continue working y'all little jobs for the rest of y'all lives", that run him off 

[SoonerBillsFan]

4 hours ago, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

Yay, more fun off-season topics.
 

I am truly curious from knowledgeable Bills fans as I am not really an Xs & Os guy. Going into the draft, Watkins looked like a sure-fire slam dunk at #3 overall. Although not super tall, he looked massive compared to other WRs. His college tape is unreal. Incredible RAC ability & juking. Great speed for a guy his size. Seemed to turn those little WR screens into huge gains (I never understood why this trait wasn’t utilized more in the NFL?) Was he not properly developed by Buffalo? I don’t think this is true at all as both his best seasons came as a Bill and they were his first 2 so things were looking very promising. Who would’ve thought Tyrod Taylor and Kyle Orton would’ve got more out of Sammy than Mahomes and Lamar Jackson? IMO, one of the Buffalo’s all-time busts and hindsight obviously should’ve went w/ Khalil Mack. That would’ve made too much sense. Buffalo did do a good job of cutting their losses. I always felt like the guy had a sh*tty attitude. People hate on Diggs, but at least he backed it up on the field. Anyways, I gotta get back to working my little job. LMK what u think. 

Mental case that didn't give a **** about football.  He just wanted the paycheck.

[KingBoots8]

Bust? Nah, I heard it here he was the best decoy ever.
 

Truthfully, it was a combination of bad motivation, bad leadership, and bad quarterback play. Put year one Watkins with Allen and I bet he plays a hell of a lot better… but still not worth the trade up. How I wish I heard Mack get his name called. What was and might have been I guess.

[Simon]

The lizard people thing will never, EVER get old..... 

[JohnNord]

5 hours ago, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

Yay, more fun off-season topics.
 

I am truly curious from knowledgeable Bills fans as I am not really an Xs & Os guy. Going into the draft, Watkins looked like a sure-fire slam dunk at #3 overall. Although not super tall, he looked massive compared to other WRs. His college tape is unreal. Incredible RAC ability & juking. Great speed for a guy his size. Seemed to turn those little WR screens into huge gains (I never understood why this trait wasn’t utilized more in the NFL?) Was he not properly developed by Buffalo? I don’t think this is true at all as both his best seasons came as a Bill and they were his first 2 so things were looking very promising. Who would’ve thought Tyrod Taylor and Kyle Orton would’ve got more out of Sammy than Mahomes and Lamar Jackson? IMO, one of the Buffalo’s all-time busts and hindsight obviously should’ve went w/ Khalil Mack. That would’ve made too much sense. Buffalo did do a good job of cutting their losses. I always felt like the guy had a sh*tty attitude. People hate on Diggs, but at least he backed it up on the field. Anyways, I gotta get back to working my little job. LMK what u think. 

It all depends on what your definition of a “bust” is.  It wasn’t a complete disaster of a pick but overall I think it’s fair to say he fell well short of expectation on every team that counted on him.    He was disappointing on the Bills, Rams and Chiefs - his one saving grace was making a big catch in the SB though that hardly redeems his career.  
 

Like you said, he was touted to be a top WR coming out of college and a “generational” player.  Instead his ceiling proved to be a high-end WR2, despite having a ton of potential.  Injuries are only part of the story - he just never had the drive to be great.

[djp14150]

5 hours ago, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

Yay, more fun off-season topics.
 

I am truly curious from knowledgeable Bills fans as I am not really an Xs & Os guy. Going into the draft, Watkins looked like a sure-fire slam dunk at #3 overall. Although not super tall, he looked massive compared to other WRs. His college tape is unreal. Incredible RAC ability & juking. Great speed for a guy his size. Seemed to turn those little WR screens into huge gains (I never understood why this trait wasn’t utilized more in the NFL?) Was he not properly developed by Buffalo? I don’t think this is true at all as both his best seasons came as a Bill and they were his first 2 so things were looking very promising. Who would’ve thought Tyrod Taylor and Kyle Orton would’ve got more out of Sammy than Mahomes and Lamar Jackson? IMO, one of the Buffalo’s all-time busts and hindsight obviously should’ve went w/ Khalil Mack. That would’ve made too much sense. Buffalo did do a good job of cutting their losses. I always felt like the guy had a sh*tty attitude. People hate on Diggs, but at least he backed it up on the field. Anyways, I gotta get back to working my little job. LMK what u think. 

What kills many— injuries.

 

 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

Foot injury and he was a drunk

 

 

[wppete]

Weak mentality. Didn’t have the mentality of the greats. 

[TBBills Fan]

1 hour ago, Simon said:

The lizard people thing will never, EVER get old..... 

Because lizard people live for 100s of years. 

 

See: Tom Cruise

[PonyBoy]

5 hours ago, strive_for_five_guy said:

The mental component combined with the physical abilities is why LeBron continues to dominate the NBA 20 years later.  In my 20s, I’d play pickup ball against very physically gifted guys all the time, but they never played at a higher level than D3 because they were also dumb as rocks.

 

When I lived in Buffalo area I played in rec leagues with a couple of UB B ball players. I was in my mid 30's, hair graying rapidly, working full time, but playing in floor hockey & B ball leagues 4 nights a week, hitting gym in between. 

Played them zone, they killed us. I said screw it, let's play man to man. They laughed at me, called me Mr. Gray. Ok, I said, I got you. He laughed, oh, ok...

I had no plans on scoring, but he wasn't going to even get a pass, let alone score. He didn't, crying like a B word after 2 games, guard someone else. Nope, I picked you! 

 

Mental toughness, athletic ability, attitude, I had ridiculous cardio at the time. 

Some people have it, some don't. Pro players included. 

[BADOLBILZ]

4 hours ago, dave mcbride said:

When he was healthy in his first couple of seasons, he looked every bit as good as early years-OBJ and Mike Evans. In this game -- https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201601030buf.htm -- he essentially handed Revis Island precise directions to the proverbial glue factory. He was uncoverable in that game and was the best player on the field by a LOT. He cost the Jets the playoffs (along with a classic Fitzpick to Leodis in the EZ late in the 4th).

 

 

Yeah he was an immense talent.    There were a lot of outstanding players on the field that day but he was clearly the best.  

[Another Fan]

Without looking it up I definitely recall him having some big games.  Against the lions in 2014.   The Jets finale in 2015.  I tend to think bust is a strong word for him...  more he didn't ultimately live up to his expectations.  

[Buffalo Boy]

5 hours ago, Low Positive said:

Half this message board would have traded 2024 1st, 2024 2nd, 2025 1st, 2025 2nd just to move up a few spots to take Brian Thomas Jr. a few months ago.

And the other half of us were mortified it might happen.

[BADOLBILZ]

3 hours ago, Roundybout said:

 

He showed his true potential against Kansas City in 2015, IMO: 

 

 

 

 

 

Has another Bills WR ever played a half of football that great?

 

Maybe Moulds in that playoff game at Miami?  But even then I don't think so.

 

Watkins couldn't be stopped that day.    

 

Until they stopped throwing to him.

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

5 hours ago, Billl said:

He wasn’t a bust at all. He had a 9 year career with 5400 yards, 34 TDs, and was the leading receiver in the 2019 postseason en route to a Super Bowl. He was a good player who was overdrafted. 

He was a consesus top 5 pick from what I remember. The 2 firsts given up was certainly way too much, but he certainly would’ve been nabbed within the next 2 picks.

[Don Otreply]

Sammy had a lot of talent, but he was never the sharpest tool in the shed, dudes a flat earther, kinda says it all right there…, 

[2020 Our Year For Sure]

3 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

 

Has another Bills WR ever played a half of football that great?

 

Maybe Moulds in that playoff game at Miami?  But even then I don't think so.

 

Watkins couldn't be stopped that day.    

 

Until they stopped throwing to him.

Maddening. I used that game a number of times as an example of how dysfunctional Tyrod, Roman and Rex were.

[Nephilim17]

Dude had addiction problems, craziness, and a big ego. If that was matched with a relentless work ethic, it wouldn't matter so much. But it wasn't.

[Doc Brown]

6 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

Has another Bills WR ever played a half of football that great?

 

Maybe Moulds in that playoff game at Miami?  But even then I don't think so.

 

Watkins couldn't be stopped that day.    

 

Until they stopped throwing to him.

That was the game I realized Rex shouldn't be allowed to be the head coach a pee wee football team.  He blamed not challening a clear incompletion because they didn't show it on the big screen in the stadium.  There were a few more wtf challeng and non challenges in that game if I recall.  The lack of detail with him in almost every facet of being an NFL head coach was astounding.