Sammy Watkins is entering his fourth season in Buffalo, and it's been an injury-prone career for him thus far. He missed three games in 2015, and eight in 2016. The team is apparently undecided as to whether it will pick up his fifth-year option. Given what he's meant to the offense when healthy, they'd be taking a big risk letting him go.
Back in 2015, in his 13 healthy games, Watkins caught 9 TDs -- nearly 40 percent of the team's 23 on the season. Over the last two years, only six wide receivers have had a season where they accounted for a higher percentage of their team's touchdowns. Buffalo has already let Chris Hogan and Robert Woods walk the last two offseasons. If they don't bring Watkins back a year from now, tough to figure where the touchdown receptions are going to come from.
The table below shows the 50 wideouts who have accounted for at least a quarter of their team's TDs in either of the last two seasons. Watkins would be missed in Buffalo offense.
WRS AT LEAST 25% OF TEAM TDS, 2015-2016 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | I.TD | T.TD | %TD |
2015 | Tavon Austin, St.L. | 5 | 11 | 45% |
2015 | Brandon Marshall, NYJ | 14 | 33 | 42% |
2016 | Mike Evans, T.B. | 12 | 29 | 41% |
2015 | Doug Baldwin, Sea. | 14 | 34 | 41% |
2015 | Allen Robinson, Jac. | 14 | 35 | 40% |
2015 | Jeremy Maclin, K.C. | 8 | 20 | 40% |
2015 | Sammy Watkins, Buff. | 9 | 23 | 39% |
2016 | Odell Beckham Jr., NYG | 10 | 26 | 38% |
2015 | Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 10 | 26 | 38% |
2015 | Julio Jones, Atl. | 8 | 21 | 38% |
2015 | DeAndre Hopkins, Hou. | 11 | 29 | 38% |
2016 | Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 12 | 33 | 36% |
2015 | Eric Decker, NYJ | 12 | 33 | 36% |
2015 | Odell Beckham, NYG | 13 | 36 | 36% |
2016 | Kenny Britt, L.A. | 5 | 14 | 36% |
2016 | Jordy Nelson, G.B. | 14 | 40 | 35% |
2015 | Jordan Matthews, Phil. | 8 | 23 | 35% |
2016 | Kelvin Benjamin, Car. | 7 | 21 | 33% |
2016 | Brandon LaFell, Cin. | 6 | 18 | 33% |
2016 | Anquan Boldin, Det. | 8 | 24 | 33% |
2016 | Kenny Stills, Mia. | 9 | 27 | 33% |
2015 | A.J. Green, Cin. | 10 | 31 | 32% |
2016 | Dez Bryant, Dall. | 8 | 25 | 32% |
2016 | Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 6 | 19 | 32% |
2015 | Demaryius Thomas, Den. | 6 | 19 | 32% |
2015 | Emmanuel Sanders, Den. | 6 | 19 | 32% |
2015 | Cole Beasley, Dall. | 5 | 16 | 31% |
2016 | Rishard Matthews, Tenn. | 9 | 29 | 31% |
2016 | Sterling Shepard, NYG | 8 | 26 | 31% |
2016 | Doug Baldwin, Sea. | 7 | 23 | 30% |
2016 | Davante Adams, G.B. | 12 | 40 | 30% |
2015 | Allen Hurns, Jac. | 10 | 35 | 29% |
2015 | Stefon Diggs, Minn. | 4 | 14 | 29% |
2015 | Ted Ginn, Car. | 10 | 35 | 29% |
2016 | Jamison Crowder, Wash. | 7 | 25 | 28% |
2016 | Michael Crabtree, Oak. | 8 | 29 | 28% |
2015 | Calvin Johnson, Det. | 9 | 33 | 27% |
2015 | Kenny Britt, St.L. | 3 | 11 | 27% |
2016 | Terrelle Pryor, Clev. | 4 | 15 | 27% |
2016 | DeAndre Hopkins, Hou. | 4 | 15 | 27% |
2015 | Michael Crabtree, Oak. | 9 | 34 | 26% |
2015 | James Jones, G.B. | 8 | 31 | 26% |
2015 | Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz. | 9 | 35 | 26% |
2016 | Demaryius Thomas, Den. | 5 | 20 | 25% |
2016 | Emmanuel Sanders, Den. | 5 | 20 | 25% |
2016 | Allen Robinson, Jac. | 6 | 24 | 25% |
2016 | Quincy Enunwa, NYJ | 4 | 16 | 25% |
2016 | Adam Thielen, Minn. | 5 | 20 | 25% |
2016 | Steve Smith, Balt. | 5 | 20 | 25% |
2015 | Travis Benjamin, Clev. | 5 | 20 | 25% |
--Andy Richardson