Buffalo Bills trade Sammy Watkins and Ronald Darby, acquiring Jordan Matthews, E.J. Gaines and draft picks

The Buffalo Bills have traded away wide receiver Sammy Watkins and cornerback Ronald Darby. This is not an April Fools joke.

Here is the breakdown of the trade details:

Bills get:

CB E.J. Gaines

WR Jordan Matthews

2018 2nd round pick (Rams)

2018 3rd round pick (Eagles)

Eagles get:

CB Ronald Darby

Rams get:

WR Sammy Watkins

2018 6th round pick (Bills)

E.J. Gaines

Gaines comes in as the heir apparent for Darby’s starting role, assuming Kevon Seymour didn’t just get promoted. Measuring in at 5’10” and 185 pounds, Gaines is entering his fourth season, having spent the first three with the Rams, who drafted him in the sixth round out of Missouri.

Gaines missed the entirety of the 2015 season with a Lisfranc injury in his foot. But he played in the 2014 and 2016 seasons, starting 25 games for the Rams. He saw plenty of work on that defense, accumulating 126 tackles (110 solo), 21 passes defended, and 2 interceptions during those games.

Jordan Matthews

Matthews will immediately shake up Buffalo’s receiving corps. The Bills now have three receivers with legitimate claims to slot roles in Matthews, Zay Jones, and Anquan Boldin.

A 2014 second round pick, Matthews was a record-setting receiver at Vanderbilt. The 6’3” 212 pounder immediately saw some success at the NFL level, with 67 receptions for 872 yards and 8 touchdowns as a rookie. The receiver has big-play potential, but struggled with drops and inconsistency during his career. He hasn’t yet eclipsed 1000 receiving yards in a season, but still produced for his team in each year of his career.

Draft Picks

With the dust settled, the Bills now have two first round picks, two second round picks, and two third round picks in the 2018 draft. They are better prepared than ever for a massive retooling of the roster in the Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane era.