Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins, recovering from a broken bone in his left foot, expects to return to practice shortly after the Bills begin training camp July 30.
"For training camp, I think I'll definitely be available," Watkins told TSN following an appearance Friday in Toronto. "I might sit out two or three days. It's all about how I feel within those days. The goal is to come back and be prepared for training camp."
ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported last month that Watkins, whose injury required surgery, is expected to miss training camp and the preseason but return for the Bills' regular-season opener Sept. 11 in Baltimore.
Coach Rex Ryan said Thursday that it was "too early to tell" when Watkins would return to the field.
"We will definitely be smart with him also, but like I said, I am sure he is going to get some work [in training camp]," Ryan said. "It is just we don't have a definitive date."
The latest prediction from Watkins is more precise than what the third-year receiver offered when he last spoke to reporters earlier this month.
"Honestly, I can't tell you," Watkins said June 1. "This is an injury where you got to be very careful, and like I said, the only thing I can do is listen to the staff and take it slow and just really protect myself. They're going to take the course of the injury. Nobody knows what timetable, or when or what."
Watkins has missed three games in his two-year NFL career because of injury.