Sammy Watkins: Tyrod Taylor “is going to be elite”
With an appearance on ESPN’s First Take this morning, Sammy Watkins sat down at the table with the two nonstop talking heads of Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless to talk about his second season in the league and his Bills offense that, as he pointed out, picked it up late in the season “because had nothing to lose.”
That leaves Bills fans wondering why they did not play that way in the September, October and November months.
Either way, Watkins was asked if he was sold on Tyrod Taylor by Bayless. Without blinking, the former Clemson Tiger answered “oh I’m sold.” But the part that caught me was towards the end of his answer.
“I definitely think that he can be the guy that we need and he is going to be elite.” Definitely an answer you want to hear from the number one receiver on your football team. Watkins also told Bayless that “he’s grown as a leader on our team. At first he wasn’t, and now he’s come a long way to putting me in my place and putting coaches in their place.”
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Taylor definitely grew in his presence as the starting quarterback in the NFL and now he has the approval of his top target, something that was a question during the season when Watkins vented to the media about not getting enough targets.
Watkins finished the season over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career and with nine touchdowns. Though the numbers show something to be desired, this isn’t a gunslinging offense and if fans expect Taylor to be in the “elite” category of throwing for 4,500 yards per season, find a different team because it will not happen.
However, I would expect Taylor’s interception numbers to stay in the single digits (he only had six this season). If he is going to be elite, he will be in more of the Russell Wilson/Cam Newton category. Strong legs as well as a strong arm.
Will he ever get there? Well he certainly has the talent around him. So it’s time to sit back and watch the Tyrod magic unfold, hopefully to the tune of a 2016 playoff berth.