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Lions considering trading up for Sammy Watkins
By Matthew Shovlin
http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/16846662-lions-considering-trading-up-for-sammy-watkins
Wide receiver was a popular position in mock drafts for the Detroit Lions at tenth overall, but when the team signed Golden Taint to a five-year, $31 million deal, many figured that the Lions would use their first-round pick on a different position. The Lions, however, have ranked fifth, first, first, third, and sixth in pass attempts over the past five years, so they'll take all the receiver help they can get.
I currently have Odell Beckham Jr. penciled in as the No. 10 pick this year, as I feel that quarterback Matthew Stafford could still use another weapon in the passing game. A Tuesday report from Lions beat writer Dave Birkett, however, suggests that the team will be even more aggressive in their pusuit of a top-notch receiver prospect. "The Lions have put a lot of time into [Sammy] Watkins ... this spring," Birkett tweeted. "Trying to figure if it's right for them to move up and get him."
It's a very interesting report, as Watkins appears unlikely to drop past the Oakland Raiders at No. 5. I expect the Cleveland Browns (fourth overall pick) to have their sights set on either a top quarterback or Watkins, while I expect the Jacksonville Jaguars (third overall pick) to sit in the third spot praying that Jadeveon Clowney falls to them. As a result, the only probable trade scenario in which I can see the Lions having a shot at Watkins is if they trade up for the St. Louis Rams' second overall pick.
The Rams have been extremely open about their willingness to trade down from No. 2, as they did with the 2012 second overall pick that netted them an abundance of valuable draft selections (such as the No. 2 pick in this year's draft). The Houston Texans are not going to select Watkins first overall, so he is a lock to be available at No. 2 - if the Lions are willing to meet the Rams' demands to trade up, Watkins will be theirs.
The Lions won't have to give the Rams as much as what the Washington Redskins gave them in 2012 (three first-round picks and a second-round pick), but it will take a significant package to move up eight spots. What the Lions are now determining is just how much they will be willing to give up for a player who has been lauded as the best receiver prospect since, coincidentally, the Lions' own Calvin Johnson.
Head coach Jim Caldwell and general manager Martin Mayhew had dinner with Watkins the night before his pro day, and the electrifying pass catcher met with Calvin Johnson and Golden Taint on Tuesday. If he leaves a great impression on the organization, Watkins could be the primary target of one of the league's premier passing offenses. The thought of Stafford throwing to Johnson, Taint, and Watkins in 2014 is simply terrifying, and the Lions - who have not had a viable complementary pass catcher for Johnson since 2007 - could absolutely terrorize opponents through the air with that trio of receivers.
A lot of us want Watkins on our teams, but I think it's safe to say that we would all be excited to see what would happen if Watkins ends up in Detroit.
By Matthew Shovlin
http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/16846662-lions-considering-trading-up-for-sammy-watkins
Wide receiver was a popular position in mock drafts for the Detroit Lions at tenth overall, but when the team signed Golden Taint to a five-year, $31 million deal, many figured that the Lions would use their first-round pick on a different position. The Lions, however, have ranked fifth, first, first, third, and sixth in pass attempts over the past five years, so they'll take all the receiver help they can get.
I currently have Odell Beckham Jr. penciled in as the No. 10 pick this year, as I feel that quarterback Matthew Stafford could still use another weapon in the passing game. A Tuesday report from Lions beat writer Dave Birkett, however, suggests that the team will be even more aggressive in their pusuit of a top-notch receiver prospect. "The Lions have put a lot of time into [Sammy] Watkins ... this spring," Birkett tweeted. "Trying to figure if it's right for them to move up and get him."
It's a very interesting report, as Watkins appears unlikely to drop past the Oakland Raiders at No. 5. I expect the Cleveland Browns (fourth overall pick) to have their sights set on either a top quarterback or Watkins, while I expect the Jacksonville Jaguars (third overall pick) to sit in the third spot praying that Jadeveon Clowney falls to them. As a result, the only probable trade scenario in which I can see the Lions having a shot at Watkins is if they trade up for the St. Louis Rams' second overall pick.
The Rams have been extremely open about their willingness to trade down from No. 2, as they did with the 2012 second overall pick that netted them an abundance of valuable draft selections (such as the No. 2 pick in this year's draft). The Houston Texans are not going to select Watkins first overall, so he is a lock to be available at No. 2 - if the Lions are willing to meet the Rams' demands to trade up, Watkins will be theirs.
The Lions won't have to give the Rams as much as what the Washington Redskins gave them in 2012 (three first-round picks and a second-round pick), but it will take a significant package to move up eight spots. What the Lions are now determining is just how much they will be willing to give up for a player who has been lauded as the best receiver prospect since, coincidentally, the Lions' own Calvin Johnson.
Head coach Jim Caldwell and general manager Martin Mayhew had dinner with Watkins the night before his pro day, and the electrifying pass catcher met with Calvin Johnson and Golden Taint on Tuesday. If he leaves a great impression on the organization, Watkins could be the primary target of one of the league's premier passing offenses. The thought of Stafford throwing to Johnson, Taint, and Watkins in 2014 is simply terrifying, and the Lions - who have not had a viable complementary pass catcher for Johnson since 2007 - could absolutely terrorize opponents through the air with that trio of receivers.
A lot of us want Watkins on our teams, but I think it's safe to say that we would all be excited to see what would happen if Watkins ends up in Detroit.
