Buccaneers on the fence regarding controversial Baker Mayfield teammate after waiving Shilo Sanders

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are making tough decisions right now as the 53-man roster deadlines approach. One of those choices was to waive Shilo Sanders. However, the team is still trying to figure out what to do with other players as they hope to make a deep run with Baker Mayfield under center.

The controversial player in question this time is Desmond Watson, the NFL’s heaviest player. Watson weighed 464 pounds on the Florida Gators Pro Day. Since then, he went undrafted and the Bucs welcomed him after. However, he hasn’t been practiced as he needed to trim some of the weight down.

August 26 is when the teams need to present their initial 53-man roster, where you’ll find names like Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, and more. Now, they have to make a decision regarding Watson. According to Mike Florio of NBC Sports, the team has three options. They either put him on the 53-man roster, shift him to reserve Non-Football Injury/Illness (NFI) or ultimately release him.

What do those options entail?

If he gets signed to the 53-man roster, that would mean he is ready to go. This is the least likely option given the fact that he hasn’t even trained with the team yet.

Desmond Watson has been trying to prove he is an NFL player.

The other option is to shift him into the reserve NFI, which stands for Non-Football Injury/Illness list. This could be tricky as the NFL would have to determine if Watson’s overweight state constitutes an ‘injury’ or an ‘illness’ that keeps him from playing. A player on NFI is not required to get paid.

see also

Desmond Watson’s profile: Age, height, weight, career and more of the Buccaneers player

Do the Buccaneers need Desmond Watson?

It’s a complicated thing to say. On one hand, the Bucs have gone the extra mile to help Watson get into football shape. This means a part of them really want him to be a part of the team.

On the other hand, the Bucs don’t need a defensive tackle to come in and shine. They are loaded on defense. The Bucs have one of the best defensive lines in the NFL with defensive tackle Vita Vea at Watson’s position. Vea is one of the best and strongest DT’s in the league.