Bills weighing option on WR Sammy Watkins

Image via Zimbio

The Buffalo Bills have a decision to make between now and next month. Will the team pick up the fifth-year option on wide receiver Sammy Watkins’ rookie contract? If the Bills were to invoke this option, it would force them to pay Watkins a total of $13 million for the 2018 season.

According to Bills insider Sal Capaccio of WGR 550, the Bills themselves might not pick up Watkins option — leading to him becoming a free agent following next season.

“A source familiar with the situation has informed me the team has yet to make that decision (on Watkins’ option) and will be discussing it internally over the next couple weeks,” Capaccio reported.

Watkins, 23, was selected fourth overall by the Bills back in 2014 after the team exhausted a huge capital trading up to that pick with the Cleveland Browns. Since then, Watkins has missed 11 games to injury in three seasons and played in only eight games last season with a foot injury. In fact, Watkins is coming off having two procedures on said foot.

It would be a risky proposition to pick up Watkins’ option at this point, but the Bills have invested already invested so much in the former Clemson standout, it’s hard to imagine them walking away.