Bills pull trigger on 2 big deals
Send Watkins to Rams, CB Darby to Eagles
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills’ offseason overhaul isn’t over yet with receiver Sammy Watkins and cornerback Ronald Darby the latest players to be sent packing.
The Bills dealt both starters in separate blockbuster trades Friday as part of an effort to reshape the roster under new coach Sean McDermott.
Watkins was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, while Darby was sent to the Philadelphia Eagles. Buffalo addressed both positions by acquiring receiver Jordan Matthews from Philadelphia and cornerback E.J. Gaines from the Rams.
The Bills also continued looking to the future by further stockpiling 2018 draft selections. They acquired a second-round pick from LA and a third-rounder from the Eagles, while also sending a sixth-round pick to the Rams. Add in the acquisition of the Kansas Chiefs’ first-round pick in trade completed in April, and the Bills have two picks in each of the first three rounds next year.
The additional picks provide Bills new general manager Brandon Beane assets in a draft that looks like it will have several top-end quarterback prospects. Bills starter Tyrod Taylor’s future is uncertain beyond this year.
Beane disputed the notion he’s strictly looking ahead to next year.
“This is not a throw-in-the-towel thing at all,” Beane said. “If we were throwing in the towel, I wouldn’t be trying to get that starting receiver back.”
BRONCOS: Denver nose tackle Billy Winn will miss the entire 2017 season with a serious right knee injury, the AP has learned.
Winn tore ligaments in his right knee, including the anterior cruciate ligament, on Thursday night.
Winn was caught under the pile on a Bears run in the first quarter of the Broncos’ exhibition game in Chicago.
Winn, a sixth-year pro from Boise State, played in all 16 games last season in his first year in Denver.
PACKERS: The team has submitted videos to the NFL of hits by Eagles players that knocked out Green Bay’s Malachi Dupre and Damarious Randall on separate plays in their game Thursday night.
Coach Mike McCarthy said Friday he expected the league to evaluate the hits from the preseason game from the perspective of player safety. When asked to clarify, McCarthy said, “If I turned them into the league, I don’t think they’re legal hits.”
Dupre, a rookie receiver, was carted off on a stretcher in the fourth quarter following a hit by rookie safety Tre Sullivan. Dupre was evaluated at a hospital and returned to Lambeau Field on Friday.
Randall was hurt after receiver Bryce Treggs hit the cornerback high while throwing a blind-side block. McCarthy said Dupre and Randall were in the concussion protocol.
PANTHERS: Quarterback Cam Newton is on the mend.
Newton threw passes to receivers during an individual period early in practice Friday, according to the Charlotte Observer. However, Newton still was held out of team drills.
Newton had shoulder surgery in March to repair a partially torn rotator cuff and had not thrown in practice other than light warmup tosses since July 30. He did not play in the team’s preseason opener Wednesday night against the Houston Texans.
DOLPHINS: Miami rookie linebacker Raekwon McMillan will miss the entire season with a torn ACL in his right knee, a person familiar with the situation said Friday.
The person confirmed the diagnosis to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Dolphins had not disclosed the severity of the injury. McMillan was the frontrunner to win the starting job at middle linebacker until he was hurt covering a punt early in Thursday’s exhibition opener against Atlanta.
Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill has decided surgery can no longer be avoided.
He will undergo an operation to repair the torn ACL in his left knee and will miss the entire season, a person familiar with the decision said Friday.
Tannehill, who missed the final four games of last season with two sprained ligaments in his knee, reinjured it a week into training camp on Aug. 3. RAVENS: Quarterback Joe Flacco will soon return to practice, but he won’t play in a game before Baltimore opens the regular season Sept. 10 at Cincinnati.
The Ravens announced Friday that Flacco’s progress from a back injury is “good,” and that he will begin practicing in the preseason.
Friday exhibitions
STEELERS 20, GIANTS 12: In East Rutherford, N.J., rookie quarterback Josh Dobbs threw a 28-yard touchdown pass and Chris Boswell kicked a 37-yard field goal in the third quarter to give Pittsburgh the lead for good in a win over New York.
Terrell Watson added a 15-yard touchdown run in a game that had little offense with Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers and Eli Manning of the Giants being given the night off.
Pittsburgh was without backup QB Landry Jones, an Artesia native who was injured (abdominal).
BENGALS 23, BUCS 12: In Cincinnati, Ryan Fitzpatrick made a good initial impression with Tampa Bay, completing his first series with a 6-yard TD run, before Cincinnati pulled away to a win over the Bucs.
The 34-year-old QB signed a oneyear deal for a chance to back up Jameis Winston. Fitzpatrick had mixed results after his TD, going 6-for-13 overall with an interception.
Bengals QB Andy Dalton was 4-for5 for 38 yards on his only drive, but it ended with an interception.
49ERS 27, CHIEFS 17: In Kansas City, Mo., Alex Smith led the Chiefs to a quick touchdown and first-round pick Patrick Mahomes II had an impressive debut before San Francisco’s backups led the 49ers to a victory over Kansas City.
Smith hit Tyreek Hill for a 32-yard gain on the first play of the game, and Spencer Ware capped a 75-yard march with a short TD run to give the Chiefs a 7-0 lead.