Desmond Watson officially didn’t make it onto the field in the preseason.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ undrafted rookie defensive tackle, who was listed at 464 pounds coming out of Florida in the spring, wasn’t in uniform for any of the Bucs’ three games this month.
They put him on the non-football injury/illness list when training camp opened because he hadn’t yet reached the weight-loss goals that Tampa Bay had set for him.
GM Jason Licht told reporters early in August that Watson had “milestones” to reach before he could get onto the field.
Given that he hasn’t been taken off that NFI list, Watson apparently hasn’t gotten where the Buccaneers want him to be yet.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio laid out the options in a new story, while also giving a bit of an ultimatum vibe to Watson:
And so the Bucs have a decision to make Watson. The options are: (1) put him on the 53-man roster; (2) shift him to reserve NFI; or (3) release him.
A player on NFI is not required to be paid. The question for Watson is whether his weight truly counts as an injury or illness. If anything, the Bucs are trying to keep Watson from an injury or an illness. Twenty-four years ago, Vikings tackle Korey Stringer died from complications of heat stroke.
The Bucs have been patient with Watson. The question is whether the teams patience will run out. Whatever “milestones” they gave him, he has yet to reach them. At some point, the team will say, “Enough is enough.”
The Buccaneers clearly believe Watson has the potential to be an NFL difference maker. They wouldn’t have kept him around this long if they didn’t.
Watson put up strong athletic numbers at his Pro Day for a guy who was listed at 6-foot-6 and 464 pounds. The Bucs likely see a player who can cause serious problems on the interior of the defensive line if he can just get a little lighter while still maintaining his overall strength, size and movement skills.
Whether he’ll ever get the chance to show those in the NFL, and potentially break the league’s record for heaviest player to appear in a regular season game, remains to be seen. The way Florio sums it up, it doesn’t seem like Watson’s chances are great at the moment.
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