Buffalo Bills: Sammy Watkins Still Unsure When He Will Return
By Paul Taylor
Sammy Watkins claims he’s right where he needs to be, but admits he still has no idea when he will be back on the playing field for the Buffalo Bills.
Sammy Watkins‘ annual football camp kicked off on Tuesday at Erie Community College in Orchard Park, and Buffalo Bills‘ fans were likely more intrigued than usual. Ever since his offseason surgery for a foot injury, there has been no clear timeline for his recovery.
In that respect, it was no surprise that Watkins’ rehab was one of the major discussion points with ESPN and the rest of the media: “I don’t know how much I’m gonna be doing or when I’m gonna be on the field (at training camp), but I’m definitely going to be active and engaged.”
In fairness, the 2014 fourth overall draft pick sounded positive about his return to action: “I don’t know what the schedule is like with me being on the field competing-wise, but I’m right where I need to be at…feeling good, healthy.”
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There have been varying accounts about when Watkins will step back onto the field, ranging from being ready for the start of training camp to potentially missing the entire preseason. At this point, all indications lean heavily towards the latter scenario, especially with the team taking a cautious approach towards him.
In that respect, the 23-year old remained in Buffalo during the offseason, to work on his recovery with the Bills’ training staff. He had only positive things to say about his decision to stay in Western New York, and is considering making it a regular occurrence.
Watkins said: “It’s been great, actually. I might look into doing it every year because I’m getting the right nutrition, the right coaching, the right treatment and it’s not with another company.
“I’m doing right here with the Bills and our organization. They’re doing a great job with it – I’m paying attention to the details, fixing my body.”
No matter how much progress the Fort Myers, Florida native is making, there will be understandable concerns about him missing time with Tyrod Taylor. However, the duo apparently have a plan B, if the star receiver cannot practice.
Watkins said: “We got something planned to where we’re on the right page. And we’re going to get on the right page and make sure we stay there.
“Because I missed OTAs and minicamp, so it’s very…we got to be on the right page when the season starts. We just got to get the chemistry back down, the route running – stuff like that I got to clean up.”
The team reports to St. John Fisher College in Rochester a week on Friday, with the first practice taking place the following day. However, the 2014 Orange Bowl MVP is already looking ahead to the season and knows it’s on the players to end the Bills’ 16-year playoff drought.
Watkins said: “We can’t put anything on the coaches, (they) do their job…Now it’s time for the team and the leaders to take leadership.
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“Practice hard, get off the field, take care of each other – nutrition, sleep, film, all that stuff starts with the players. If we do the right thing, handle our business like we should, we should be in a great place.”
A big part of any success will come down to the two-time First-team All-American, who had 1,000 receiving yards last season, despite missing three games and playing in a run-heavy offense. What’s daunting for the rest of the league is he’s only scratching the surface, especially when you consider he was constantly limited by injuries during his first two years in the NFL.
With this in mind, Watkins is more focused than ever, on taking better care of himself: “If I’m not on the field, I feel like I’m letting them down, letting everybody down.
“So it’s really being available (and) staying healthy. That’s something I’m working on right now with the staff, the training staff, trying to find so many ways I can keep my body up, stay healthy and stay fit for the whole season.”
Next: LeSean McCoy owes the Bills a big season
How confident are you in respect of Sammy Watkins’ rehab from his foot injury? Do you expect him to be ready for week one, or are you concerned he will still be recovering? Let us know in the comments section below.