Heaviest participant in NFL historical past watches in frustration as group bars him from apply till he loses weight
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers knew what they have been getting by drafting Desmond Watson.
Standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing 464lbs on his professional day in March, the rookie defensive sort out out of Florida is the heaviest participant in NFL historical past.
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Watson was signed by the Buccaneers after going undrafted in April, however has already run into hassle along with his new group.
The 22-year-old, who misplaced 25 to 30lb earlier than getting into the league, understood that he would want to chop much more weight to have an opportunity of taking part in within the professionals.
However regardless of the progress he has already made, Watson opened coaching camp on the non-football damage record.
Whereas it is not clear how way more weight Tampa Bay wish to see him lose, the younger defensive lineman has been seen strolling laps across the apply area in 95F (35C) climate.
He has additionally been seen simply watching his fellow defensive linemen undergo drills, as he’s pressured to observe, unable to take part.
In keeping with experiences, he has been requested to do 10 laps with out stopping, and on Monday, footage confirmed Watson strolling throughout the sector with out his pads on.
Watson has additionally been working with a group nutritionist in an try to get ‘more healthy’.
“It is nearly attempting to get him higher, to be a more healthy participant and getting him on the sector a bit extra,” Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles mentioned final week, after Watson was positioned on the NFI record.
“That is sort of the place I am at proper now.
“He is working at it and we’re working with him and that is all you’ll be able to ask proper now.”
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Because it stands, Watson’s probabilities of making Tampa Bay’s closing 53-man roster seem comparatively lengthy, given he’s but to swimsuit up in coaching camp drills.
But when he does make the reduce, Watson may make NFL historical past because the heaviest individual to play in a sport.
Who’re the NFL’s heaviest gamers?
No present participant tops 400lbs, with Baltimore Ravens guard Daniel Faalele the heaviest in 2024, weighing in at 380lbs.
There have, although, been a couple of stars who’ve performed heavier in years passed by.
Aaron Gibson, a first-round draft choose by Detroit in 1999, weighed 410lbs. He began 15 video games for the Lions earlier than getting waived in the midst of his third season.
He additionally performed with the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears earlier than getting one closing shot within the NFL with the Buffalo Payments, the place he was reduce close to the tip of coaching camp.
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Terrell Brown, who stood at 6-foot-10 and weighed 403lbs, signed with the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted rookie in 2013.
He arrived 15lbs heavier than the then-Rams coach Jeff Fisher anticipated, and whereas the Mississippi prospect shed some weight throughout camp, he did not make the group.
Nate Newton, who was probably the most dominant guards of the Nineties, joined the Cowboys when he weighed 401lbs.
He famously misplaced a footrace with legendary Dallas coach Jimmy Johnson, which pushed him to get into higher form.
Newton went on to make six Professional Bowls whereas blocking for Emmitt Smith and Troy Aikman, and helped the Cowboys win three Tremendous Bowls.
Rookie Watson will surely love a profession like that, however until he loses a major quantity of weight, he could not make the reduce with the Buccaneers.
He might be a helpful asset within the present NFL local weather, although.
Why have the Bucs signed Watson?
Evaluation suggests Watson will likely be helpful defending on vital fourth-and-1 performs.
The NFL noticed a report 71.5% fourth-and-1 conversion fee in 2024, and a few of that was because of the opinion-splitting ‘tush push’ play run by the Philadelphia Eagles.
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Watson has beforehand been dubbed ‘the tush push terminator’ for his skill to stuff the road of scrimmage, however Bowles has insisted the younger participant may supply way more.
“To guage him proper now may be very early, and we did not get him for the tush push — we obtained him as a result of we actually thought he may play,” the Bucs coach mentioned in Could.
“It is only a matter of getting him to the purpose the place he can play greater than two or three performs (per drive).”
Operating laps, particularly within the brutal Florida warmth, will little question assist Watson get into the form he must have an opportunity of constructing the roster.
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And as soon as he has shed some weight, he’ll hope to be in pads sooner fairly than later.
“I really feel like my identify is etched in historical past, after all, as being the official heaviest participant within the NFL,” Watson mentioned again in Could.
“It is a good story, however on the identical time, I do not need that to be my narrative and issues like that.
“I need to be referred to as a soccer participant, and soccer participant at that.
“However it’s good to have the ability to make historical past, I suppose.”
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