Pewter Pulse: THE HARD TRUTH About Bucs DT Desmond Watson

Hello pewer people. Scott Reynolds here with another Pewer Pulse. The first two weeks of Bucks training camper in the books and I’ve got a hard truth to tell about defensive tackle Desmond Watson. The 400 plus pound former Florida Gator has yet to practice with the team and remains on the NFI list. That’s the non-foot illness list. What’s really holding Watson back from practicing with the Bucks? And is he any closer to ever putting the pads on? I’ll tell you that truth in just a moment. But first, your reminder, hit the thumbs up button on this video, give it a like. Also, leave a comment. I love reading your comments. And doing those two things helps us with the YouTube algorithm and gets our videos out in front of more awesome Bucks fans like you. Thank you very much for helping us get over 20,000 subscribers on our YouTube channel, Peter Report TV. If you haven’t done so yet, head over to Peter Report TV and hit subscribe. Greatly appreciate it. All right, Desmond Watson didn’t meet his weight goals and has been unable to practice in training camp. Will that ever change? That’s the subject of today’s Peter Pulse. Now, let’s start off with some facts about Desmond Watson before I get into my opinions about what I think is going to happen moving forward. Watson weighed 464 lbs at his Florida Proday and is listed on the Bucks roster at 449 lbs, which means he lost about 15 pounds from April to May. That was Watson’s weight, 449 lbs, when he signed with the Bucks after the draft. Has he lost some weight during the offseason conditioning program? Looks like he has. I can’t tell how much. Is he 430? Is he 420? I just don’t know. But what I do know is that Watson was given a target to hit, a weight goal that he needed to reach during the six weeks off in the summer before he would be eligible to practice with the team in training camp. And Watson failed to hit that number. I previously stated that the Bucks want to see him trim down to at least 400 lb, if not 380, before they would even consider him to be effective enough to play in a game. And that would be as a practice squad elevation only. At no point in time did I truly think that Watson would make the 53man roster. The Bucks have far better defensive tackles on the roster right now than the former Gator. And right now even making the 16 player practice squad seems highly unlikely as he’s missed the first two weeks of training camp. I mean the coaches and scouts haven’t even seen what he can do on the field. We’ve seen Watson do some running for about 30 minutes off on the side field in an effort to improve his conditioning, his cardio, and and shed some needed weight. Now, this is a picture of Watson back in the OTAAS, in the mini camp days in the spring. We’re not allowed to photograph Watson when he’s running with the trainer on the field. That’s just something that the Bucks PR staff doesn’t let us do. So, he looks a little slimmer now than he does in this picture. Some of you have suggested that the team should let him practice because he would shed even more weight with a helmet and full pads on. That might be the case in theory, but at his current weight, wherever it is above 400 lb, it could also be quite dangerous. We have to remember that clinically, Watson is probably categorized as morbidly obese. that puts him at a greater risk of serious health issues such as heat stroke. It’s one thing to run around in shorts and a helmet in the spring during May and early June in Tampa when the heat index is in the 80s, but in late July and early August in the thick of the hot and humid summer season in Tampa, when the heat index is 100° or more, that’s dangerous for a guy like Watson. Some of you older Bucks fans may remember that former Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Cory Stringer died on the second day of training camp on August 1st, 2001 due to exertional heat stroke. Stringer was 6’4, 346 lb, which was considered gargantuan about 25 years ago. A guy that big was considered a bit of a rarity back then. Now 340 pound guys are more prevalent on NFL rosters. Tampa Bay has four players around 340 or more in defensive tackle Vea and offensive tackles Tristan Warps and Tyler Mlelen in addition to Watson who was well over 400 lb. Back in 2001, the Bucks only had nine players that weighed 300 lb or more, including just two over 315 pounds. Now, Tampa Bay has 21 players that weigh 300 lb or more in camp, including seven over 315 pounds. Back in 2001, the NFL had two a day practices. Now, those are a thing of the past due to player safety concerns. Players that aren’t in shape in training camp and don’t move as well are more susceptible to injury. And if Watson was on the field and were happen to get injured or suffer heat stroke as a result of being obese, then the team has to reach an injury settlement and essentially pay someone like Watson for not being able to play. And injury settlements can be in the six figures, too. The other thing to consider is that Watson is incredibly limited as a defensive tackle in Todd BS’s defense because of his immobility. He’s truly a one-dimensional A gap plugger in the run game. If there’s an outside running play, the Bucks are essentially playing with 10 guys on defense because Watson can’t run to the ball in pursuit. Despite his size, Watson is not a pass rusher. He only had one and a half sacks in four seasons at Florida. Listen, everyone is rooting for Desmond Watson, including myself. Not just in football, but in life. He’s admitted that he has an addiction to food and the Bucks are certainly trying to help him. But the reality is that Watson left high school at 380 pounds and actually gained over 80 lbs at Florida. Instead of losing weight in college, he gained weight, unhealthy weight. He was too big to be a differencemaker for the Gator. That’s why he was never a starter and was only a role player as a result. Watson’s actually a very good athlete for such a huge man. That’s why the Bucks took a gamble on him. Just imagine how much more effective he could be playing around 380 instead of being well over 400 lb. Now, I don’t know what the target weight for Watson is or how close he is to hitting that. Maybe he starts practicing in a week or two, but if I had to guess based on him missing the first two weeks of training camp and how brutally hot it’s been, I don’t think the team risks putting Watson’s health in harm’s way with him being so obese. I think this is going to end one of two ways for Desmond Watson. Either the Bucks try to help him in the long run and keep him on the non-foot illness list until he loses a sufficient amount of weight and keep him on that list throughout camp as he works on his conditioning and then they release him and the roster cut downs and place him on the PUP list where he would be ineligible to be up on the active roster for four games in the regular season. Not that that would ever happen, but that would give him the month of September in addition to the month of August to lose more weight and get in better shape. Then if he gets released and placed on the practice squad once he reaches a certain weight, then his rookie season could essentially be like a red shirt year as he tries to get under 400 lb and gets in better shape for the 2026 season. or the Bucks just don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel with Watson because he fails to be committed to losing weight and fails to be committed to his diet and doesn’t make enough progress. Kind of like what happened over the summer break where he didn’t lose enough weight. Then maybe they give up on the plant city native. At the end of the day, the only person that can save Watson from his obesity is himself. He has to decide how bad he wants this. how bad he wants a shot at a pro career in football, even if it is on the practice squad. Halfway through training camp, folks, time is running out on Watson and his NFL dream. Well, you helped us make our dreams come true by helping us get over 20,000 subscribers on our Peter Report TV YouTube channel. Please join legions of Bucks fans in doing so. That’s where you’ll find my Peter Pulse videos, other great Bucks video content like the Peter Report podcast. So, hit the subscribe button. Also, hit the notification button. When you hit that button, it’s going to give you notification when I deliver a new Pewer Pulse to you or when we go live with our Pewer Report podcasts. Make sure you follow us on X Facebook and Instagram on Peter Report for our Bucks training camp pre-season and regular season coverage. and visit peterreport.com for all of the breaking news, injury reports, roster additions and cuts, and of course game coverage as we get closer to the Bucks preseason. And I’ll be back soon with a new Pewer Pulse.

Will Bucs DT Desmond Watson lose enough weight to ever practice in training camp? Why is the team prohibiting him from practicing? Is time running out on Watson’s chance at a pro football career in Tampa Bay? Scott Reynolds reveals the hard truth about Desmond Watson in a NEW Pewter Pulse video.

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44 comments

  1. I been told yall about dude, nobody about to waste a roster spot for a DT that can only play goaline and maybe 3rd and short, he cant 2 gap he too damn big, just facts, a roster stop for maybe 4 plays a game

  2. The Bucs knew this when they signed him, and they knew that he's FROM FL so he's used to the heat, that's no excuse. He's played four years of college ball and practiced at that weight and in this heat, quit coddling him! Besides it's not healthy to lose that much weight quickly, let him practice!! Rooting for you Dez

  7. I guarantee there's guys on that team that have bought women BBL's and they can't help this young man out with cutting that fat…. smh… people need help… not punishment.

  8. Unfortunately he probably needs to be involved with mental health professionals as well to help him deal with his food addictions. That’s a lot for the franchise to sign up for IMHO.

  9. Absolutely luv Watson however, lets keep it real. He's not making the Bucs squad. And I don't think he makes the training squad either. In college, he was a role player. He partied and ate everything in site. Were he serious about the NFl. he could have gotten down to at leat 375 priorto camp. I mean there are all sorts of appetite suppressant drugs out there now. Great story though. I just hope he loses weight and get healthy for his sake. Just can't see him buckling down and letting that food go.

  14. Hey Scott, as a Bucs fan from '76 who now lives in the Florida Panhandle I get ZERO news about my Bucs here locally (just Saints 🤢). So when I need my daily updates I look up the PR. You don't give me rehashed speculation. I know I'm gonna get to the point, in the know, news. Today's report is right on as always . Thx!!! #GoBucs

  18. Bottom line like everything in todays world sadly it’s all about liability and law suits that is why he is not practicing due to contract Claus and what the team is disclosing for personal relations due to legal matters if they let him play due to health concerns and something god forbid bad happens Bucs would take the fall because they knew the possible chances this could happen because of those reasons alone it’s a protective measure for the organization and also Watson himself.

  23. Good stuff as always Scott….I noticed a lot of video of Watson walking around on the sidelines in his bare feet, almost like a kid in "time out". Could the Bucs not use that time for him to start or continue weight training inside where heat stroke would not be an issue and then graduate him to outside duty once he lowers his weight? Hope to be out there soon again once those medical issues of my own subside.

  26. They are just working on him to lose more weight and they doing it very strictly. Losing fat and creating muscles but not too much because muscle can be heavier than fat. So they just working to get him where he can move faster and not get hurt out there on the field. Being that big can cause health issues so they approaching it very professionally and safely. They know what they doing because they signed him so he got money for a reason

  31. He has access to Wegovy, Ozempic, personal chefs nutritionists, psychologists. There are people who have lost more with none of these resources. There are no excuses. Lack of discipline. They can’t practice him. The man is THIS close to a heart attack, and that Tampa heat and humidity index gonna give him heat stroke. They also need to worry about all that weight on his knees, especially. Get your s- – t together, and the chat needs to quit babying him. He’s a professional athlete for God’s sake. This is his JOB.

  32. I'm rooting for him big time. I hope he can come around mentally. And over come his difficulties. To lose the weight. I belive him next to, or near vea on that d line will be a very scarry thing for most offensive lines. But he needs to take ot seriously.

  36. Clearly he has issues with losing weight and just doesn't have the discipline needed to make the team, this is a pro league not a charity, time to cut him loose and let him concentrate on his health then the far fetched dream of playing in the NFL. Pray he is able to live a long healthy life.

  37. Dropping 50+lbs in 6 weeks is not realistic. Honestly if he can get under 420 it's worth giving him a shot, then reassess medically and see if 390-400 is healthy and doable longer term

  38. We are wasting our time. I feel sorry for him but also all the other 400+ people. I think it is good for the Bucs to care but why not donate to charities that help obese lose weight and move on.

  42. Do you rfemember william the frige perry on the 1986, he was 360. Everyone back the]n he was a wasted draft pick from people like! This guy is taller and heavier, know this any person fat or muscled do 225 for 37 reps has more muscle than fat and is a freak of nature!

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