Desmond Watson’s weight might now be his biggest asset.
The Buccaneers signed the behemoth defensive tackle, who weighed in at 464 pounds during the draft process, to their practice squad Tuesday ahead of Week 4, as he hopes to launch his NFL career despite battling a weight issue.
NFL analyst Warren Sharp believes this move isn’t in hope of Watson chasing after ball carriers but instead to halt their progress with the Eagles and their Tush Push on tap this Sunday.
“Wait, the Bucs just signed him TODAY, the week they play PHILLY’S TUSH PUSH, and they’re doing the thing???” Sharp wrote Tuesday morning in an X post.
The theory speculates that the undefeated Buccaneers could opt to send Watson on the field on short-yardage plays, where the Eagles would, in theory, be running their highly successful — and rather polarizing — play.
The Tush Push, which the Eagles successfully made their staple en route to a Super Bowl victory last season, has garnered tons of criticism across the league from some who want the play banned.
Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles, though, poured cold water on the idea of Watson as the Tush Push stopper.
“[We] wouldn’t bring in a guy just to stop a Tush Push,” Bowles said of Watson, while adding that he “probably won’t be ready” to play Sunday.
Watson has apparently trimmed down a bit, down to 449 pounds over the summer, before being waived at the end of training camp amid reports he did not meet the team’s asks regarding his weight.
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The team apparently is now satisfied enough with his physical condition to give him a spot on the practice squad, which puts him in position to potentially be active on gameday.
While Watson is a defensive tackle, he has been used in other ways including as a fullback when he received a carry during his time with Florida.
The Buccaneers may need some offensive help this Sunday after they lost Mike Evans to a hamstring injury during their Week 3 win over the Jets.
Evans is expected to miss multiple weeks with the setback, so there’s a clear need for an offensive playmaker.