In the days leading up to the start of the free agency period, there had been much uncertainty surrounding wide receiver Sammy Watkins’ future with the Los Angeles Rams. The team had expressed a significant amount of interest to retain him, but Watkins appeared to be headed toward the open market.
Things had begun to heat up following the start of the legal tampering period that allowed for teams to speak to the 24-year-old’s agent. According to Ian Rapoport of The NFL Network, Watkins has reportedly agreed to a three-year deal worth roughly $48 million with $30 million guaranteed.
The #Chiefs locked in on WR Sammy Watkins late last night and the deal is expected to be worth roughly $16M per year over 3 years, sources say.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2018
Prior to inking that lucrative deal, there had been several teams in pursuit of Watkins aside from the Rams and the Chiefs such as the Tennessee Titans, Green Bay Packers, and Jacksonville Jaguars. However, Kansas City was likely the team that offered him the most money on any of the offers with a chance to play for a proven playoff team despite second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomes taking over the reigns under center next season.
In his lone season with the Rams, Watkins recorded 39 catches for 593 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. This was a notable drop in production, however, he still showed his big-play ability. He also managed to show some durability after playing in 15 games in the regular season. His only missed contest occurred in the in the season finale due to the team opting to rest its key players ahead of the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Rams will move forward with their young receiving core currently led by Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, and Josh Reynolds. The team could also look for a bigger role in the passing game for second-year tight end Gerald Everett. Keep in mind, Los Angeles still has plenty of cap space to add more pieces to the mix in free agency and could also add to that group in the upcoming draft.
