RAMS REEL IN WATKINS FROM BILLS
The Los Angeles Rams acquired wide receiver Sammy Watkins and a 6th-round draft pick in 2018 from the Buffalo Bills for cornerback E.J. Gaines and a 2nd-round draft pick in 2018.
What does it give the Los Angeles Rams
Watkins is obviously an elite talent at wide receiver, and is a nice replacement for former star wideout Kenny Britt (who's now with Cleveland). Watkins nicely rounds out the Rams' super-talented young offensively core, which also includes tailback Todd Gurley, fellow wideout Tavon Austin, and tight end Gerald Everett. Now the question is whether former No. 1 overall draft pick Jared Goff can get everyone the ball to make it all work.
What does it give the Buffalo Bills
In a related trade the Bills moved key cornerback Ronald Darby, so Gaines can help fill the void. In that Darby deal, Buffalo picked up star wideout Jordan Matthews, a replacement there for Watkins while also adding Gaines. The key here might actually be the second-round pick, since it can garner a quality player in the next draft as well. Above all, though, this is the new Buffalo regime boldly plotting a new course and moving past the underachieving years of Watkins.
Fantasy impact
It's hard to say Watkins will be more appealing fantasy-wise with the Rams than he was with the Bills. Part of that is his injury history, and the other part is the unproven track record of his quarterback (Jared Goff). More certain fantasy-wise is that Robert Woods gets a downgrade in value, since he goes from being a likely regular starter to being more of a situational or even backup guy for the Rams (depending on how many 3-wideout sets they run). On the Buffalo side of things, Matthews takes over for Watkins (and gets a major fantasy boost), while Gaines is a solid starting cornerback (but not a fantasy factor).
