Orchard park

 

Orchard park – doug Marrone might have expected a recently signed undrafted rookie free agent to be the first guy on the practice field, eager to make a good impression. Instead, early Monday morning, it was the man who soon enough will be Buffalo's next multi-millionaire. "Someone told me today that he was in here at like 6:45 running routes on air," Marrone said of wide receiver Sammy Watkins at the conclusion of the Bills' three-day rookie mini-camp. "Someone told me that and those are things that are encouraging. I think those are the things you want to hear."

Watkins was considered the most accomplished and most NFL-ready receiver in the 2014 NFL Draft after a brilliant career at Clemson. He was the fourth overall pick, where, with rare exception, imminent stardom is a foregone conclusion. this guy is already pretty darn good and it doesn't seem possible that, barring injury, he won't be starting opening day against Chicago. But there he was, inside the Bills' fieldhouse, on a mid-May morning, working on his technique because he knows things aren't going to be nearly as easy in the NFL as they were in the Atlantic Coast Conference. "I know this game is totally different from college," he said. "It's still the same sport, but now guys are 10 times smarter. Now this is a job so you're going to do anything in your power to get better at your steps or your speed. I have the speed and size and the ability, now it's just down to the details and the little things. I woke up this morning and that's what I was trying to do. Stay straight, keep my head up, and work on my routes and my breaking points."

It's clear that Watkins is aware of the responsibility he'll be shouldering for the Bills. When you're picked that high in the draft, there's an expectation of excellence. Watkins knows he'll be counted on heavily this season, especially now that Stevie Johnson has been traded away. "they trust and believe in me to come up five picks to draft me," he said of the trade with Cleveland that cost Buffalo a first-round pick in 2015. "It takes accountability for me to do what I have to do to learn the playbook, get down with the offensive guys, and get everything off on the right foot. That's what I've been trying to do since I've been here. "It's quite a challenge, but Watkins welcomes it. "For me, I've got to work a little harder than everybody else," he said. "Everybody expects me to be this 1,000-yard receiver. That's what I've got to work toward. It's no pressure. I've been doing this all my life. I've got unbelievable faith in myself and this team, and my coaches, to get me prepared."

With none of the Bills' regulars on the field, Watkins looked like a man against boys during the workouts. Every pass that was catchable thrown by free agent Kenny Guiton, Watkins caught, as he toyed with the less-talented defensive backs trying to cover him. his numbers were stupendous in college, but Watkins believes he's a better player now than he ever was at Clemson. He said all the workouts he did getting ready for the scouting combine and his pro day, plus the expert instruction he has already received in the week-plus he has been in Buffalo, have made a big difference.

"I wasn't like this at Clemson," Watkins said. "I came in here in one or two days and I learned immediately how important it was to get out of your routes and how important it was to not be chattering too much, to get your depth, keep your eyes up. That's the perks of the NFL. You learn more. You've got smarter guys here. Guys that teach you details. That's what it's about on Sundays, details." Watkins is taking care of the details on the field, and he's doing so off the field as well. After the mini-camp concluded, he announced that he will be hosting a youth football camp at West Seneca East High School outside Buffalo from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 22. It's a way to give back to the community, and get in touch with fans of the team. And before the mini-camp began, Watkins made sure he procured an audience with Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Kelly, the ailing patron saint of Bills football. Watkins knows all about Kelly's battle with cancer, partially because Kelly's nephew, Chad Kelly, was a backup quarterback at Clemson the last two years before being dismissed from the team earlier this spring for disciplinary reasons. Watkins is good friends with Chad Kelly, and when he first arrived in Buffalo after the draft, Chad brought Watkins to Jim's home to meet his famous uncle.

"It was a great experience," Watkins said. "He's a strong guy. I see a guy that's fighting every day. A guy that's positive, not negative. … He looks great to me. He means a lot. I see that he's everywhere around here. He's the quarterback of this franchise. I talked to him when I was there and he just gave me a lot of wisdom and encouragement of being in Buffalo and all the perks of being a Buffalo Bill. I can't thank him enough."

Quite a first week for the newest Bill, and as first impressions go, Watkins made a pretty good one.