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Bill Ford Jr. did in fact meet with Sammy Watkins

How closely are the Detroit Lions looking at Sammy Watkins? Their vice chairman met with him on Tuesday.

By Sean Yuille
Brett Carlsen

The Detroit Lions brought in Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins on Tuesday for a pre-draft visit. Interestingly enough, Lions vice chairman Bill Ford Jr. was spotted at the team's facility around the same time. Was this just a coincidence, or did Ford Jr. actually meet with Watkins? Well, according to Ian Rapoport, a meeting did in fact take place.

The simple fact that Ford Jr. met with Watkins doesn't mean a trade is coming by any means. However, it's yet another indication that the Lions are thoroughly exploring the possibility of trading up for Watkins. Clearly, they want to be absolutely sure that giving up picks to move up for Watkins would be worth it, which is why they've now had dinner with him and brought him in for a visit that included a meeting with someone from the team's ownership.

What's more, Dave Birkett reports that the Lions asked Clemson wide receiver Martavis Bryant about Watkins during his pre-draft visit last week. Bryant could be a potential option for the Lions after the first round, but his visit was yet another chance for them to get an idea of what Watkins is all about. In turn, it was also yet another chance to evaluate the idea of a trade and if moving up would truly be worth it.

Watkins, by the way, is set to visit the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday -- one day after they hosted Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans. Then, next Monday, Watkins will meet with the St. Louis Rams before having a private workout with them later in the week.

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