Breaking; Bills Give Minicamp Invite to 10,000-Yard QB After ‘Breakout’ Season
Last week’s NFL Draft saw the Buffalo Bills augment their offense with new talent and they have now extended an invitation to a quarterback for their upcoming minicamp.
On April 27, it was confirmed that a rookie minicamp invitation had been extended to Gunnar Watson, the Troy quarterback who generated significant attention in his last year of college football but wasn’t selected during the draft.
According to Creg Stephenson of Al.com, Watson ended his college career on a high note.
Stephenson wrote that Watson (6-3, 214) had a remarkable performance for the Trojans in 2023, throwing for an impressive total of 3,569 yards and scoring as many as twenty-seven touchdowns while making just six interceptions.
After the NFL Draft, a chance is given to the Quarterback of Troy.
Despite not being selected in the NFL Draft, Watson has been given an opportunity to display his talent by means of a minicamp invitation. Standing tall at 6-foot-3, this signal-caller spent six seasons playing for Troy and managed to rack up 10,275 total yards through passing along with scoring 65 touchdowns while only throwing away possession on 29 interceptions. This invite could pave the way towards earning a free-agent contract if he proves himself worthy during this time period.
During Troy’s NFL Pro Day in March, Watson exhibited his talents to scouts and expressed enthusiasm for progressing beyond a successful college career.
Watson expressed his disbelief, stating “It’s insane. I’ve been in this place for six years,” during an interview with WDHN. He had fond memories of winning two championships on the same field and was thrilled to reunite with former teammates one last time. The team focused on having fun and showing off their skills over the past few days, which Watson believed they accomplished successfully based on everyone’s performance.
Javon Solomon, Troy defensive end and top sack leader with 16 in the year 2023, has been included on Bills’ roster as a fifth-round selection for minicamp where Watson can look forward to seeing his familiar face.
With Josh Allen poised to start and Mitch Trubisky as the backup, Watson may find it difficult to secure a spot on Buffalo’s depth chart. Shane Buechele was also added to the team’s practice squad with a futures contract in January.
Talent is acquired through Draft and Free Agency by Bills.
With their first pick, the Bills welcomed a variety of skillful players to their team through the draft. Among them was Keon Coleman, a wide receiver from Florida State. Given that Stefon Diggs had been traded to the Houston Texans and Gabe Davis departed in free agency as well, several analysts anticipated that Buffalo would endeavor towards improving its fleet of receivers – which they seemingly accomplished via drafting Coleman and other promising prospects.
Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic praised Coleman as the top pick in the draft, stating that it effectively tackled one of Buffalo Bills’ major issues.
According to Buscaglia, the Bills’ first selection will be a valuable addition to their depth chart which is in dire need of someone as talented as him. Additionally, Josh Allen had expressed his admiration for this particular player’s skills prior to the draft when speaking with general manager Brandon Beane.
In the fourth round, Kentucky running back Ray Davis was picked up by the Bills to enhance their skill set in the backfield. With potential that complements top runner James Cook, Davis is a promising addition.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic wrote that Davis possesses rapid decision-making abilities and exceptional sidestepping skills, allowing him to outmaneuver defenders with his explosive plant-and-go maneuvers; his game against Florida in 2023 is likely the most outstanding running back footage within this group.
