In surprise trade, Rams land Sammy Watkins, send E.J. Gaines to Bills

Right before their first preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys, the Los Angeles Rams acquired Sammy Watkins in a trade with the Buffalo Bills.

Leave it to the Los Angeles Rams to surprise their fans with a trade out of nowhere right before the team’s first preseason matchup against the Dallas Cowboys this weekend after acquiring Sammy Watkins from the Buffalo Bills on Friday. For a team that has been looking for a big-name receiver for a long time, the Rams have every reason in the world to be excited over the move, that is assuming Watkins can manage to stay healthy.

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As part of the deal, Los Angeles sent cornerback E.J. Gaines to Buffalo along with a second-round pick in the deal for Watkins, which is still drawing plenty of shock around the league. The Bills made it clear during the offseason that Watkins had a lot to prove after declining his fifth-year option, but after this trade to the Rams, maybe a fresh start with a new team is just what the wideout needs to finally get on track.

Expectations were high for Watkins back in 2014 when Buffalo used the fourth overall pick to bring the former Clemson star on board, and while the wideout has shown flashes of greatness at times, overall he’s basically failed to live up to the hype. Remaining healthy has been a major issue for Watkins throughout his young career after he was limited to playing in just eight games all of last season, but that still shouldn’t stop Los Angeles from being excited about their new playmaker.

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Finding better weapons for Jared Goff to work with was a top priority for the Rams heading into the offseason, and while they did well for the most part in free agency along with the NFL Draft, Watkins may be their biggest move yet. If Watkins can find a way to stay healthy and finally make an impact like he did at Clemson, this could end up being a great acquisition for Goff and Los Angeles.