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Buffalo Bills’ Sammy Watkins underwent hip surgery early in offseason

By Nathaniel Reeves

Nov 24, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins (14) breaks a tackle by New York Jets defensive back Marcus Williams (22) after making a catch during the second half at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 24, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins (14) breaks a tackle by New York Jets defensive back Marcus Williams (22) after making a catch during the second half at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports /
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It was revealed that the Buffalo Bills wide receiver had a procedure done on his hip earlier in the offseason.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins underwent hip surgery this offseason to repair a lingering injury, reports Josina Anderson of ESPN.

The surgery happened earlier in the offseason, but was just revealed on Friday. Watkins initially suffered the hip injury in Buffalo’s Week 13 win over the Cleveland Browns.

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Despite dealing with the hip issue and a recurring rib injury, Watkins made the Bills looked justified in trading up to No. 3 overall to select him in the 2014 draft. Watkins caught 65 passes for 982 yards and six touchdowns his rookie season with Kyle Orton as the starting quarterback for most of it.

Hip injuries aren’t the easiest to overcome, so this should be a cause for some concern in the Bills’ organization. Of course, Watkins put up seven catches for 127 yards the week after suffering the injury, so there’s reason to believe it won’t impact him too much going forward.

The Bills are building something potentially special, but need Watkins to be a part of it. With an outstanding defense and strong new head coach in Rex Ryan, even a decent offense could have Buffalo in the postseason next year for the first time since 1999.

Watkins is the star of a wide receiver core with plenty of upside, including Percy Harvin, tight end Charles Clay, and the promising Robert Woods. LeSean McCoy is also in town now, with Fred Jackson serving as a more than capable backup.

However, the Bills have one rather large problem spot. Buffalo is still searching for a franchise quarterback, as it doesn’t appear E.J. Manuel is the answer.

The Bills traded for Matt Cassell during the offseason and he figures to step in as the starter after Orton abruptly retired. While Cassell is likely to be an upgrade, don’t expect exactly plus quarterback play out of Buffalo this season.

That leaves no margin of error for the Bills on offense. Cassell and Buffalo need Watkins to be completely healthy and at his best.

The offseason and surgery should help Watkins recover from those nagging injuries and be even better in 2015. If Watkins can take the next step in his development, he could soon be one of the primer wide receivers in the NFL.

Next: FSU CB P.J. Wilson arrested for DUI ahead of NFL Draft

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