WR Sammy Watkins, BAL (3 Viewers)

[menobrown]

I think he's just focusing on the Super Bowl right now and not wanting to think about an offseason where he'll likely be cut and forced to relocate for the 4th time in his career. He's made $54M in his career and right now,  with a SB looming and a big bank account, he's probably just thinking he don't need to do this anymore, relocated again, and for sure not if he's not going to be valued by someone.  But I expect him to come to his senses in time.

Seems like just yesterday some people were actually worried for Tyreek's value when he got signed and I spent a chunk of wasted time on these boards debating that Hill was superior.  Not everyone ages the same, Watkins just seems like a shockingly old 26.

He is dead to me in fantasy because Mahomes/Reid is like reverse New York. If  you can't make it there, you can't make it anywhere.

 

[Stinkin Ref]

he is basically just trying to save face.....I'll say I may retire  as opposed to letting them cut me....that way people know its not really a big deal to me even though it is....its been known for quite some time (even if he would have had a better year) that he was going to have to restructure if he wanted to return....he is replaceable.....but I think he likes where he is at and KC likes him enough to redo his contract at a MUCH lower rate.....Mahomes can keep him somewhat relevant.....that is what Sammy will be mulling over... 

 

[joey]

he is basically just trying to save face.....I'll say I may retire  as opposed to letting them cut me....that way people know its not really a big deal to me even though it is....its been known for quite some time (even if he would have had a better year) that he was going to have to restructure if he wanted to return....he is replaceable.....but I think he likes where he is at and KC likes him enough to redo his contract at a MUCH lower rate.....Mahomes can keep him somewhat relevant.....that is what Sammy will be mulling over... 

ha! If "somewhere relevant" = over 64 yards in exactly ONE game this year.

Oh, and 1 playoff game as well. Sorry that I sold him so short.

 

[The Frankman]

No shortage of big receivers Mahomes can throw to with Byron Pringle and DeMarcus Robinson to some extent (in doghouse now). Heck they can either sign a tall WR or just draft one in the 4th-5th round, Watkins shouldn't be back at his current price and this is just him saying everything is fine, things will work out.

 

[Boone22]

No shortage of big receivers Mahomes can throw to with Byron Pringle and DeMarcus Robinson to some extent (in doghouse now). Heck they can either sign a tall WR or just draft one in the 4th-5th round, Watkins shouldn't be back at his current price and this is just him saying everything is fine, things will work out.

Isn’t DeMarcus a FA this off-season?  

 

[TwinTurbo]

I gave you the chance to get out when you could.

I paid attention to your post. I got out after week 2. 

 

[The Frankman]

Isn’t DeMarcus a FA this off-season?  

Hmmm... yep unrestricted. Off topic, I can see him being let go. They have two fast speeders in Hardman and Hill, all they need is a taller WR with decent speed who can catch (Robinson has had drop issues recently). They have to decide if it's cheaper to bring back Watkins on a sizable restructure or just get a hungrier player who fits what KC wants in FA or in the draft.

 

[GroveDiesel]

 Watkins said. 'Not retiring, but I might just want to rest up and chill. I don't know. I don't want to say I'm going to do something, but you never know. I might want to go somewhere else and create another Super Bowl team.' 

Oh...that's it. He might want to create another SB team. It must have been too taxing creating this one so I guess he needs time to recharge his batteries.

Good grief  :^ /

I could absolutely see him just retiring actually. IMO, he doesn’t love football, he is still just about getting paid. He’ll never put in the work to live up to his potential. If he has managed his money decently, he has made enough to walk away. 

It’s a shame, so much wasted potential and I don’t think he accepts any of the responsibility for that.

 

[Stinkin Ref]

I don’t know a ton about the dude...but have seen some recent interviews and mic’d up stuff.....seems like a good guy and a good teammate.....he has shown some flashes that say he can still play a little.....so not sure about the doom and gloom and acting like he is done...seems like he has been around forever but he is only 26...

 

[Faust]

Is Super Bowl LIV really the last game Sammy Watkins is playing in 2020?

 

[joey]

Is Super Bowl LIV really the last game Sammy Watkins is playing in 2020?

Similar to the old saying, "if a tree fell in the woods....”

if Waktins doesn’t play next season, would anyone notice?

 

[The Frankman]

Sammy Watkins caught 5-of-6 targets for 98 yards in the Chiefs' Super Bowl LIV victory over the 49ers.

Watkins mostly stayed healthy his second year as a Chief, missing "only" two games, but he remained a free agent mega bust. The league’s highest-paid decoy posted a 53/673/3 line, with a preposterous 29.4 percent of his yardage (198) coming in Week 1. With the emergence of Demarcus Robinson and Mecole Hardman behind Tyreek Hill, Watkins did not seem like a necessary expenditure. Watkins’ latest down year seemed to go his head, with the 26-year-old wideout opining during Super Bowl week that he might take the year off in 2020. Even if he decides to play, cutting Watkins and his non-guaranteed $14 million salary would seem to be a no-brainer for the Chiefs.

 

[joey]

I think he just saved his gig. 

 

[IHEARTFF]

Watkins made some good plays when they needed him to. Not great monetary value but KC will take it. 

 

[The Frankman]

You think so? I think he's gone unless they do a massive restructure. You could draft young tall WRs who actually seem to care about the game and will put in the work. Considering they have to pay Mahomes a megadeal, no reason to pay Watkins a lot of money.

 

[Don Hutson]

KC is not going to pay him $14 million for 2020.  But he will get a nice contract from someone desperate at receiver.  He is tall and fast.  Defenses have to honor his physical attributes with attention.  He has a positive influence on an offense even when he doesn't put up big fantasy numbers.  Two years ago, no one would have predicted that he'd get a 3 year/$48 million contract with $30 million guaranteed.  Slot receivers put up big reception totals and get paid little while legitimate deep threats put up small reception totals and get paid big.  3 years/$30 million is probably his floor.

 

[DocHolliday]

KC is not going to pay him $14 million for 2020.  But he will get a nice contract from someone desperate at receiver.  He is tall and fast.  Defenses have to honor his physical attributes with attention.  He has a positive influence on an offense even when he doesn't put up big fantasy numbers.  Two years ago, no one would have predicted that he'd get a 3 year/$48 million contract with $30 million guaranteed.  Slot receivers put up big reception totals and get paid little while legitimate deep threats put up small reception totals and get paid big.  3 years/$30 million is probably his floor.

With his injury history and the young talent behind him, KC would be foolish to keep Watkins.   Some team will probably give him a nice contract but there is a lot of young WR talent in the NFL and more entering.  Watkins is probably not getting the money that he hopes.  

 

[Faust]

NFL Media's Tom Pelissero reports the Chiefs want to figure out how to keep Sammy Watkins in 2020.

This may be the Chiefs thinking optimistically while celebrating their Super Bowl victory, but a decision will have to be made on Watkins' upcoming $14 million salary in the next few weeks. Watkins didn't play like a $14 million receiver last season, and he can be cut outright without any dead money. With that option on the table, Watkins will likely have to take a pay cut to remain on the team moving forward. If released, Watkins will be a boom-or-bust signing this offseason. That, of course, assumes Watkins wants to continue playing.

SOURCE: Tom Pelissero on Twitter

Feb 4, 2020, 7:41 PM ET

 

[Faust]

Sammy Watkins needs 'downtime' after playoff run

 

[ZWK]

3 of his 4 biggest games were in the playoffs.

Weird sandwich structure to his season. In week 1 + the playoffs he had more than half of his yards and all of his TDs.

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld:

Sammy Watkins committed to playing football in 2020 but admitted mentally, physically, soulfully, spiritually, I need some downtime."

"I don’t control the contract, a trade or if they’re going to give me a bigger contract," Watkins said. "That’s not my worry. I’m not really focused on the money aspect of it. I’m really focused on my health, mental health and really checking in on and making sure I’m OK with my life, my family, my wife, my kids. Once I figure that out, I think I’ll be fine." More players could probably follow Watkins' lead in this aspect of life. Regarding football, the 26-year-old at least knows his status in Kansas City is in doubt with a cap number of a whopping $21 million in the in the final year of his deal.

SOURCE: Sirius XM NFL Radio

Feb 5, 2020, 10:34 PM ET

 

[Don Hutson]

Drama queen.  Every player needs downtime.  Wide receivers take the least amount of physical punishment other than kickers and punters.

 

[Faust]

Sammy Watkins’ Super Bowl performance proves Chiefs WR’s worth

 

[GroveDiesel]

Sammy Watkins’ Super Bowl performance proves Chiefs WR’s worth

Cue up dozens of players who had big games in the Super Bowl, got great contracts, and never performed even close to their contract level.

 

[ChiefD]

He will be gone. The Chiefs need his cap dollars. You have Mahomes' contract coming up, plus:

24 players on the Chiefs roster will be free agents - either unrestricted or exclusive rights. So they will need to sign some players. 

And if they decide to keep Chris Jones, they need dough for him too. 

As for Watkins - the dude came up big in the playoffs for us, and he did A LOT of dirty work to free up other guys. He wasn't worth the dough, but damn - they won a Super Bowl on his watch. 

 

[Golden Gopher]

Similar to the old saying, "if a tree fell in the woods....”

if Waktins doesn’t play next season, would anyone notice?

Dynasty owners, I suppose.  Other than that, probably not. 

 

[Buckna]

He will be gone. The Chiefs need his cap dollars. You have Mahomes' contract coming up, plus:

24 players on the Chiefs roster will be free agents - either unrestricted or exclusive rights. So they will need to sign some players. 

And if they decide to keep Chris Jones, they need dough for him too. 

As for Watkins - the dude came up big in the playoffs for us, and he did A LOT of dirty work to free up other guys. He wasn't worth the dough, but damn - they won a Super Bowl on his watch. 

Yep, enjoy the ring and the $34 some odd million dollars over 2 years, but time to move on.

 

[Stinkin Ref]

IMO....he takes a massive pay cut and is their WR2 next year.....

 

[Don Hutson]

When they signed Watkins to an overpriced contract 2 years ago, they didn't know what they had in Mahomes.  He has proven himself to be special.  Their offense will be great even without spending a lot on receivers.  Hill and Kelce are enough for high priced weapons.  Hardman could be good.  From here on out, they should use a 2nd-4th round pick on a receiver in each draft and let that receiver grow with Mahomes.

 

[Faust]

Speaking Tuesday, Chiefs GM Brett Veach indicated Sammy Watkins will not be back at his currently scheduled $13.75 million salary.

"We’ll sit down and talk about the landscape of where we are," Veach said. "We’ll get feedback from them in regards to what they’re looking for and hopefully we can bridge a gap and make something happen." Unless Watkins is open to a pay cut or significant restructure, it is an absolute no brainer for the Chiefs to cut him and recoup $14 million in cap space. Still four months shy of his 27th birthday, Watkins could correctly gamble his best bet is to force his way back to the open market.

SOURCE: Adam Teicher on Twitter

Feb 25, 2020, 1:09 PM ET

 

[bombjack]

Anyone aware of a specific date that any potential cut or restructure would need to take place?

 

[barackdhouse]

Anyone aware of a specific date that any potential cut or restructure would need to take place?

I was wondering the same thing. I figured we would have heard something by now.

 

[domvin]

I was wondering the same thing. I figured we would have heard something by now.

Hard to interact with a player when they are not around.   Remember, he was taking a break....

 

[barackdhouse]

Hard to interact with a player when they are not around.   Remember, he was taking a break....

I didn't think league deadlines gave a #### about that kind of thing.

 

[bombjack]

Not sure if it impacts anything, but Demarcus Robinson re-signed today for a year

 

[zed2283]

I was wondering the same thing.  I assume that June 1 would be the deadline?

 

[Snorkelson]

Not sure if it impacts anything, but Demarcus Robinson re-signed today for a year

Was hoping Robinson would get a shot somewhere, seems like he does a lot with the few targets that come his way. Seems wvery wr in kc should, they’ve all had big games- if Watkins is a cap casualty it frees up work for hardman/Robinson/Pringle. They’ve all had solid outings when called on.

 

[metoo]

I thought KC was going to put me out of my misery.

WR Sammy Watkins

 has signed a one-year deal with a base salary of $9M to return to Kansas City. The deal includes an incentive package that can pay him up to $16M in 2020. (Terez A. Paylor on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact:

This is a very interesting move by the Chiefs. There were rumblings that Kansas City would not retain Watkins under his current contract terms, and after the team announced they were bringing back WR Demarcus Robinson, everyone thought the writing was on the wall for Watkins to head elsewhere in 2020. Instead, Watkins will return to the Super Bowl champions for one more season after a 2019 where he caught 52 passes for 673 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games. Those numbers are a bit skewed however, as all three touchdowns came in week 1 against Jacksonville where he had nine receptions for 198 yards and three scores. Watkins is cemented as the 2nd or 3rd WR on the depth chart for the Chiefs, behind Tyreek Hill and possibly even Mecole Hardman depending on the day, and as long as Patrick Mahomes is throwing the football, he’ll be a WR to target in the mid-rounds of fantasy drafts. Consider him a WR3 in 2020.

https://www.fantasypros.com/nfl/news/255921/sammy-watkins-signs-one-year-up-to-16m-deal-to-return-to-chiefs.php

 

[Hankmoody]

More proof that NFL teams don't operate like fantasy owners.

 

[JackReacher]

More proof that NFL teams don't operate like fantasy owners.

Always underwhelming, but Chiefs nation will remember:

7-114, TD against TEN

5-98 against SF

 

[Stinkin Ref]

while KC has had a pretty mellow off season.....they quietly brought back  Henne, Dwilly (ex option), Sherman, Robinson, Watkins.....keeping the offense basically intact .....which should be a benefit with crazy off season/preseason ahead....Pennel (who played very well at the end).....and Chris Jones....so much of the foundation is still there on both sides of the ball....it is yet to be seen about the CB's if either of them come back.....and some loses at LB, but nothing major....

 

[Boston]

while KC has had a pretty mellow off season.....they quietly brought back  Henne, Dwilly (ex option), Sherman, Robinson, Watkins.....keeping the offense basically intact .....which should be a benefit with crazy off season/preseason ahead....Pennel (who played very well at the end).....and Chris Jones....so much of the foundation is still there on both sides of the ball....it is yet to be seen about the CB's if either of them come back.....and some loses at LB, but nothing major....

Things will get real interesting when Mahomes gets his new deal.

 

[Stinkin Ref]

basically what I expected with Watkins....while a nightmare for fantasy owners.....he "fits" in the KC offense.....he still requires attention with an above average skill set....

small example as well of the "Mahomes effect"....players will want to come and "stay" and may be willing to do so for a little less....

 

[Stinkin Ref]

Things will get real interesting when Mahomes gets his new deal.

certainly.....I think every non Chiefs fan is hoping for and expecting a total collapse when KC has to get that deal done.....but I have a feeling it doesn't totally blow up.....will there be some collateral damage.....sure.....but I have a feeling Mahomes and his team will try to work with KC the way Brady did with NE and structure things pretty friendly allowing them to still bring in talent.....and some FA may be willing to do the same (little cheaper) knowing they have a chance to win the SB every year...

 

[ffmail4me]

As someone that bought Hardman in several dynasty leagues this offseason with the assumption Watkins was gone and he'd be the #2....

 

[King of the Jungle]

while KC has had a pretty mellow off season.....they quietly brought back  Henne, Dwilly (ex option), Sherman, Robinson, Watkins.....keeping the offense basically intact .....which should be a benefit with crazy off season/preseason ahead....Pennel (who played very well at the end).....and Chris Jones....so much of the foundation is still there on both sides of the ball....it is yet to be seen about the CB's if either of them come back.....and some loses at LB, but nothing major....

This is a great point and probably played a factor in the Chiefs doing what they are doing. IF there is a 2020 season the teams with the most continuity will certainly have an advantage (assuming some offseason activities will be missed at minimum). 

 

[Boston]

certainly.....I think every non Chiefs fan is hoping for and expecting a total collapse when KC has to get that deal done.....but I have a feeling it doesn't totally blow up.....will there be some collateral damage.....sure.....but I have a feeling Mahomes and his team will try to work with KC the way Brady did with NE and structure things pretty friendly allowing them to still bring in talent.....and some FA may be willing to do the same (little cheaper) knowing they have a chance to win the SB every year...

As long as Mahomes and Reid are together they will be a contender...they will just have a much smaller room for error once that deal hits....those draft picks, undrafted free agents and veterans chasing a ring become that much more important.

 

[Buckna]

As someone that bought Hardman in several dynasty leagues this offseason with the assumption Watkins was gone and he'd be the #2....

Good news is it's only a 1 year deal and Mahomes is gonna get paid next year.

 

[Don Hutson]

Super Bowl champion teams have a tendency to resign players who were thought to be leaving.

 

[barackdhouse]

Took him as my WR6 in an FFPC dynasty startup last night. 19th round. One year rental. I've got a couple rookies that might need to develop first so I am thinking of Watkins as my WR4 for lineup purposes. But Jefferson and Pittman might overtake him there, too. He'll be easy to cut later. And who knows maybe he flashes and I can flip him for a bag of rocks. 2nd WR on the best offense in the league can't be too bad.