The Buffalo Bills have shaken up their roster with two separate trades, dealing starting receiver Sammy Watkins to the Los Angeles Rams and acquiring Jordan Matthews from Philadelphia.
Both are blockbuster trades in which Buffalo also shuffled its cornerbacks - dealing Ronald Darby to the Eagles and acquiring E.J. Gaines in the trade with the Rams.
Buffalo also continued stockpiling 2018 draft picks by acquiring a second-round selection from Los Angeles and a third-rounder from the Eagles. The Bills dealt a sixth-round pick to the Rams as part of the Watkins trade.
The moves were announced early Friday afternoon, a day after Buffalo opened its preseason with a 17-10 loss to Minnesota. The shakeup continues an offseason overhaul under new coach Sean McDermott and GM Brandon Beane.
Matthews had been Philadelphia's most productive receiver, averaging 75 catches, 891 receiving yards and six touchdowns in his first three seasons. But the Eagles signed free-agent receivers Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith in the offseason, drafted Mack Hollins and Shelton Gibson and have been pleased with 2015 first-round pick Nelson Agholor's improvement.
Darby started 29 games in his first two seasons in Buffalo. He was a second-round pick (50th overall) in the 2015 draft.
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The regular season of home and away matches run from September to December 2017, culminating in PlayOffs from January 6, 2018 and the Super Bowl on February 4, 2018 at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota to determine the world champion.