Doug Marrone didn’t want trade for Sammy Watkins

Former Buffalo Bills head coach Doug Marrone didn’t want the team to trade for Sammy Watkins in the draft.

Sammy Watkins was thought to be the best receiver available in the 2014 NFL Draft, and the Buffalo Bills traded up in order to snag him with the fourth overall pick. He came through with a great rookie season, but there were other rookies who looked much better during their first season.

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Despite other wide receivers stepping up and putting up better statistics, Watkins looks to be a major offensive playmaker for the Bills long-term.

He caught 65 passes for 982 yards and six touchdowns in his rookie season, and used his 6’1″ frame and athleticism to be a very difficult cover for any defensive back. The Bills didn’t receive the consent of former head coach Doug Marrone on the decision to trade up to acquire Watkins. Marrone wanted Buffalo to go after a quarterback instead, and that is one of the reasons that he stepped down from his head coaching position, according to ESPN.

"Marrone was not in favor of Buffalo surrendering a future first-round pick to the Cleveland Browns in a trade that did not involve a quarterback, sources said. There are different accounts of exactly how unhappy Marrone was, with some sources recalling he stormed out of the room, and other sources simply saying he walked out of the room."

Marrone is looking for a new NFL head coaching job, and he has an interview scheduled with the New York Jets this afternoon.

Buffalo is still very happy with their decision to draft Watkins, despite losing their head coach. They are coming off of an impressive 9-7 regular season record that saw them narrowly miss the playoffs.

Starting quarterback Kyle Orton decided to retire immediately following the season, which leaves E.J. Manuel as the likely starter next season. Manuel didn’t look terrible this season before being replaced by Orton, but it was very obvious that Marrone wasn’t a fan. It is going to be interesting to see who the Bills hire as their next head coach, and what they do with their quarterback situation.

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