Questions About Desmond Watson, LB Depth

Bucs DT Desmond Watson – Picture by: USA In the present day

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Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds solutions your questions from the @PewterReport X account this week within the Bucs Mailbag. Submit your query to the Bucs Mailbag every week by way of X utilizing the hashtag #PRMailbag.  Listed below are the Bucs questions we selected to reply for this week’s version.

QUESTION: Do you see Florida defensive sort out Desmond Watson making the 53-man roster or apply squad and backing up Vita Vea sooner or later?

ANSWER: The signing of huge Gators defensive sort out Desmond Watson, an undrafted free agent who stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 464 kilos, captivated not solely the Bucs fan base, but additionally your complete league over the weekend. Watson is the most important participant in NFL historical past by way of weight, however he’s just too massive to proceed to play soccer at his present measurement.

It could be one factor if Watson entered school at 450 kilos and slimmed all the way down to 400 by the point he graduated. However it was simply the other. Watson has admitted to having a weight downside, and that’s actually apparent. He has stated his habit is meals. As I stated in my Pewter Pulse video on Sunday, his signing with the Bucs is one half humanitarian assist and one half soccer venture.

Bucs DT Desmond Watson – Picture by: USA In the present day

Watson must drop some weight for the sake of his well being in the beginning, however then additionally to be a way more efficient soccer participant. If he can trim all the way down to 400 kilos, or maybe ideally to 380, he ought to have elevated stamina and agility and truly have an opportunity at taking part in within the NFL. Watson has lengthy, 33-inch arms and is extremely robust with 36 reps on the bench press. However due to his weight and lack of conditioning, he was solely a part-time participant at Florida and completed his four-year Gators profession with a modest stat line of 63 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one pressured fumble and one fumble restoration.

The excellent news is that Watson’s soccer idol is Bucs Professional Bowler Vita Vea, who has battled weight points throughout his time in Tampa Bay. Vea educated with former Tampa Bay defensive sort out Ndamukong Suh final offseason, misplaced weight and reported to OTAs in the very best form of his profession. He then had a career-high seven sacks, made his second Professional Bowl and solely missed one recreation final season. Maybe Vea may also help be a mentor to Watson to get his weight below management so he’ll have an opportunity of sticking on Tampa Bay’s apply squad. At over 400 kilos, I don’t suppose he makes the 53-man roster, however we’ll see.

QUESTION: I really like the Bucs draft this 12 months! In some way I really feel like Jason Licht addressed many wants, even wants that weren’t as obvious as others. The one spot that I really feel we have to add for depth functions is linebacker. Do you see us including a veteran, re-signing J.J. Russell or is it the Nebraska UDFA?

ANSWER: Not each crew can handle each want in each draft. Filling all wants in a single draft class is actually laborious to do. It’s not even about choosing a participant at each place in a specific draft class. It’s these gamers turning into hits moderately than misses that actually issues. I believe Jason Licht and his workers of scouts and personnel individuals completely nailed this draft. I actually like each decide and may’t discover fault with any of Tampa Bay’s choices in any spherical, actually.

As for linebacker, this proved to be a really weak draft for the place. Solely 4 linebackers went within the Prime 100, which tells you a large number concerning the high quality of the place, and the highest two – Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell and UCLA’s Carson Schwesinger – went at No. 31 to Philadelphia and No. 33 to Cleveland, respectively. The Bucs handed on taking each at No. 19, however had Schwesinger rated larger than Campbell – and never simply attributable to medical considerations with the Crimson Tide star, who had shoulder surgical procedure in March.

Bucs ILB John Bullock – Picture by: USA In the present day

The Bucs solely preferred a handful of linebackers this 12 months, and most of them had been passed by the fourth spherical. Whereas Pewter Report had Oregon’s Jeffrey Bassa as a Bucs Greatest Wager on Day 3, I’m instructed that the crew wasn’t going to draft him within the fifth spherical and was going to go together with SMU defensive sort out Elijah Roberts all the way in which. Kansas Metropolis traded up one spot forward of Tampa Bay within the fifth spherical and chosen Bassa.

J.J. Russell presently stays unsigned. We’ll see what his future holds. The Bucs did signal Nebraska undrafted free agent John Bullock, who ran a 4.63 and is coming off an enormous senior season. The Cornhuskers star had 70 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 5 move breakups, 4 sacks, two pressured fumbles and a pick-six. We’ll see how he fares within the offseason and coaching camp, or if there’s a linebacker who will get a rookie mini-camp invite who’s price signing.

Proper now, Lavonte David and SirVocea Dennis are the starters with veterans Anthony Walker Jr. and Deion Jones because the backups. Antonio Grier Jr., a apply squader final 12 months, and newcomer Deion Jennings are additionally vying for a roster spot at linebacker.

QUESTION: Hello, Scott, how are you? Do you suppose undrafted free brokers will make it into 53-man roster this season? If that’s the case, who’s the possible UDFA gamers to do it?

ANSWER: I’m effectively, and have recovered a bit from a marathon three-day NFL Draft wherein Pewter Report’s Stay Draft Present had a file 50,000 viewers between our PewterReportTV YouTube channel and our @PewterReport Fb and X accounts. That’s about double the quantity of views from final 12 months, so we are able to’t thank our Pewter Folks sufficient for tuning in.

To reply your query, there may be actually an opportunity that an undrafted free agent or two will make the roster this 12 months. The Bucs have a very good observe file of letting the very best gamers make the crew no matter draft standing. Below normal supervisor Jason Licht, there have been loads of undrafted free brokers which have made the 53-man roster. Names like former broad receiver Adam Humphries and former tight finish Cameron Brate instantly come to thoughts, along with present Bucs like safeties Kaevon Merriweather and Christian Izien, exterior linebacker Markees Watts and cornerback Tyrek Funderburk.

Bucs S J.J. Roberts – Picture by: USA In the present day

As a result of Tampa Bay’s rookie mini-camp received’t happen for an additional two weeks, I’ll have to order judgment as to which undrafted free brokers have an opportunity to make the crew. The Bucs didn’t draft a security, linebacker or offensive lineman, so these are three positions that would effectively be bolstered with an undrafted free agent. A man to regulate is Marshall security J.J. Roberts. He might need me probably the most excited proper now. LSU working again Josh Williams additionally intrigues me. He didn’t have a variety of manufacturing, however looks as if a match within the working again room.

Georgia State sort out Ben Chukwuma received the most important contract by way of assured cash. He obtained $300,000 whole assured, together with $245,000 of base wage assured in addition to a $55,000 signing bonus, per Fox Sports activities’ Greg Auman. That possible means he’ll a minimum of make the apply squad this 12 months.

QUESTION: Which Bucs draft decide was a stretch?

ANSWER: I don’t suppose any of them had been a stretch. Tampa Bay adopted its draft board and made implausible choices in every spherical in my view. I believe the most important query mark for me was Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison’s hip. Morrison was born with a hip situation that wanted bilateral surgical procedure to repair, however needed to wait till he was achieved rising and his progress plates had settled.

He couldn’t get each of them achieved on the identical time in highschool as a result of then he would’ve possible seen his probabilities of a scholarship get diminished and won’t have ended up at Notre Dame. Had Morrison waited till his junior season in school to get them each achieved he would have severely hampered his probabilities of getting drafted. So he did one in highschool and one in school, which is smart.

Bucs CB Benjamin Morrison – Picture by: USA In the present day

Remember the fact that Morrison had six interceptions for the Combating Irish as a freshman and three extra as a sophomore. So the hip surgical procedure he had in highschool was clearly a hit and he totally recovered in time to have a implausible first season at Notre Dame. The Bucs expect the identical end result from the surgical procedure on his different hip, which is to appropriate a problem he was born with moderately than a specific harm. I really feel a lot better about this choice after listening to that.

Outdoors of Morrison within the second spherical, the subsequent attainable query mark is perhaps Kansas State cornerback Jacob Parrish as he’ll be transitioning inside to nickelback. Parrish performed some within the slot for the Wildcats, however was largely an outdoor cornerback at Okay-State. However Parrish is a brilliant participant with a very good soccer I.Q. He was a starter in Manhattan, Kan. as a real freshman, which speaks to his capacity to study shortly and play confidently. Having 4.35 velocity additionally helps.

All three of the Bucs’ Day 3 draft picks had been steals and I’m going over the the explanation why in a brand new Pewter Pulse video on our PewterReportTV YouTube channel. You’ll be able to examine that out beneath.

QUESTION: I’d wish to think about that Kayvon Thibodeaux could be up for grabs by way of a commerce for the reason that Abdul Carter choice through the draft. If he was obtainable what would it not price and would the Bucs be out there?

ANSWER: I don’t suppose the Bucs could be thinking about Kayvon Thibodeaux after the crew drafted Central Arkansas edge rusher David Walker within the fourth spherical. The crew added Haason Reddick in free company and he’ll begin reverse Yaya Diaby. Then the Bucs have Chris Braswell, final 12 months’s second-round decide, who is anticipated to make an enormous leap in his second 12 months in Tampa Bay, adopted by regular veteran Anthony Nelson and Walker. I believe their depth chart is just about set at exterior linebacker.

Including Thibodeaux would possible displace Nelson, and take away developmental reps for Braswell and Walker. So I don’t suppose the Bucs wish to essentially do this. And I don’t suppose the Giants would wish to commerce away a very good depth piece behind Abdul Carter and Brian Burns, nearly as good move rushers are laborious to seek out. Particularly when they’re 24, on their rookie contract and have already got 21 sacks in three seasons within the league.

Bucs run recreation coordinator and OLBs coach Larry Foote – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR

I do know that Bucs followers really feel uneasy concerning the crew’s move rush simply trying on the stats sheet and seeing 4.5 from Diaby final 12 months and 1.5 from Braswell throughout his rookie season. However I’m telling you, Todd Bowles transferring Larry Foote from inside linebackers coach to exterior linebackers coach this offseason goes to be a game-changer for the Bucs edge rushers.

Foote will get Reddick’s recreation again on observe, take Diaby and Braswell to new heights and get Walker able to play and contribute as a rookie. And he simply may even flip Jose Ramirez or Markees Watts into an actual participant who may problem Nelson for a roster spot moderately than a spot on the apply squad.