Lavonte David Talks Desmond Watson; Ex-Gator Gets Another Tryout
September 20th, 2025
Desmond Watson (No. 56) alongside Vita Vea.
The whole Desmond Watson story with the Bucs is bizarre.
But, Todd Bowles seems to have kept his word and Lavonte David recently weighed in on the biggest defensive tackle Joe’s ever seen.
How much rookie Desmond Watson actually weighs is unclear, but the Bucs made it clear Watson weighed too much to play football at 400-plus pounds this summer. However, the team carried Watson on the training camp roster without allowing him to practice.
The former Gators lineman did everything every other player did — except practice. He even travelled with the team to Pittsburgh.
Watson spent a lot of practice time walking around fields at a very modest pace. Then the Bucs cut him and didn’t put him on the practice squad. (Do the the Bucs regret not having another offensive lineman taking up that summer roster spot?)
After Watson was cut, Bowles told local media he would check in with Watson in a couple of weeks. The Bucs wanted him to reach a fitness goal. Well, various reports claim Watson had a tryout yesterday with Tampa Bay. Odd.
The Bucs obviously see something in Watson the rest of the league does not. Or they’re terrified of litigation if Watson plays over a certain weight and are just waiting for him to get below that number.
Could it be the Bucs think Watson can’t practice or play safety over a certain temperature? Nothing would surprise Joe.
Lavonte David recently visited the Nightcap podcast last week (Joe listens on the Sirius app) and talked about Watson.
“It’s just an unfortunate situation, man,” David said of Watson. “Everybody loved the Des in the locker room and a lot of guys was pushing him, even Vita [Vea] was pushing him to get him get on the right track. But it was just unfortunate, man. He wasn’t able to meet the goal that he was supposed to meet. And then at the end of the day, I think it was more of a medical-concern-type thing, a medical type thing that was going on. I don’t know the full details, but you know, everybody loved Des, man.
“He was working his butt off to get there, I’ll tell you that. I see him every day just grinding, grinding, grinding and trying to get out there. Hopefully God gives him another chance to take the opportunity, and I think he gonna seize it once he do get the opportunity.”
Joe really has no significant thoughts about a potential practice squad defensive tackle. Joe just hopes Watson can be succesful with his weight loss.
Pregame With The Ira Kaufman Podcast
September 20th, 2025 at 11:19 am
Like I said before, If Watson can get his weight down for next season and come in at decent shape, Bowles will give him a shot. That should be enough incentive for him. He’s got an entire year to get down to his recommended weight. I think we may see him next season.
September 20th, 2025 at 11:27 am
Go Fatso!
September 20th, 2025 at 11:33 am
One would like to thank that someone would be incentivized to at the very least be a practice squad player with a salary that outpaces 99% of the population versus whatever it is he would do with the rest of his life. Hopefully he got his degree. But at his weight, I would assume the ask would be for him to get down into the 360 range given his natural size. 350 range would be even better. Someone at his weight who is motivated would actually not have much of a problem with the right program to achieve that kind of weight loss relatively quickly. I’ve been active my whole life but ballooned to a high of 271 lb when I was around his age. With no motivation at all, aside from aesthetics and health, I decided to lose weight and lost 89 lb in 3 months. Simply through a combination of diet and exercise. As a scientist I did not get a giant increase in salary due to my weight loss. I can imagine if I did have that incentive I would have reached that goal even easier. It’s all up to him. Obviously at this point his health is the most important thing, but he apparently knows how to play football and in today’s world with the glp1 drugs, there’s simply no excuse for him.
September 20th, 2025 at 11:37 am
He must eat 8-10K calories per day to fuel that weight. Cut him back to just 3 whole chickens per day and have him alternate drinking water with his beer. He’ll lose 100 pounds in no time.
September 20th, 2025 at 11:42 am
Surprised that Des doesn’t help his cause with Ozempic or Moujarno. He is morbidly obese and there isn’t a doctor in Florida who wouldn’t prescribe. Surely, mine is not an original idea. It’s a start toward a healthier life. The Bucs management has a legitimate concern not just for his health, but for potential liability if they allowed him to train/play and he had a stroke or cardiac event. Too bad. He has had many months since college to get the weight down to something more reasonable. Bucs have a need where he could have been useful.
September 20th, 2025 at 11:58 am
Rooting for the kid.
September 20th, 2025 at 12:03 pm
This Watson is nothing more than a circus freak show. His agent drops his name to Schefter or Rapoport to keep him in the news. He was given a golden opportunity by the Bucs and he couldn’t push the plate away. Move on! Bring someone in who takes themselves, their job and the sport seriously and with respect. Maybe Vince McMahon will give the kid a job?
September 20th, 2025 at 12:04 pm
Time to look into bariatric surgery. I hope he has a good GP advising him.
September 20th, 2025 at 12:19 pm
Gipper, I’m with you bro. These weight loss drugs seem to be very effective, particularly if he’s also exercising under the Buc’s program for him.
September 20th, 2025 at 12:26 pm
Elephants use their weight.
September 20th, 2025 at 12:41 pm
Watson has a sickness. He can’t help himself, he is a food addict. How many of out there would be able to drop 10% of our body weight to make hundreds of thousands of dollars?
My question is if he ever gets to his goal weight, will he be able to maintained it?
September 20th, 2025 at 1:14 pm
Put him at R OT. Baker only had 2.23 seconds to throw without Goedke last week. Even if he just stands still, it’ll take the DE longer than that just to run around him.
September 20th, 2025 at 3:01 pm
Joe I do not think he could play Dline much less Safety as you suggest.
September 20th, 2025 at 3:06 pm
Ok so none of us know what his issue is. Could be Thyroid, any number of things. No Ozempic, Bariatric surgery or other non sense just yet, jimminy christmas the kid is just that, A KID. Teach him and work with him, it’s the old calories in calories burned that determines ones weight but there could be medical reasons as well, none of us know that. It is better and healthier for the weight to come off over time but if he restricts his diet and is serious he could be ready sooner than later. He should be no more than 350, maybe. I don’t care how tall one is it’s too hard on the joints and internal organs otherwise.
September 20th, 2025 at 4:20 pm
If he could just go on the carnivore diet for the next few months he can lose the weight.
September 20th, 2025 at 5:58 pm
How fattening are offensive linemen?
He’d be eating up two per play (double team) with just a simple bull rush. QB would just be icing on the cake!
Perhaps I should use different analogies, those references might not be helpful.
September 20th, 2025 at 6:00 pm
He has a million reasons to lose weight. It’s up to him now!!!!
September 20th, 2025 at 6:17 pm
The dude did absolutely nothing in college. There are 2 reasons (Armwood + UF) he’s getting any coverage. It’s a joke and embarrassing to most Bucs fans.
September 20th, 2025 at 6:19 pm
How come they never say what his weight is now? No progress?
September 20th, 2025 at 6:37 pm
They’re interested because, in the brief time he played under 400, he was a beast against the run, and was able to pressure the QB a few times. His weight is killing him, speed wise. He moves fast for a guy his size and is able to move very well. So they know that Desmond being under 400 and staying there would let him be a part time rock in the middle with Vea, or to spell Vea, and keep the opposing running game in check. I think if Watson could get down to and play at around 370-380 he would be a stud run stopper and a solid bull rusher on passing plays. This is why they keep trying. Not to mention that they are the type of team that likes to treat their players fairly well.
September 20th, 2025 at 9:37 pm
Rooting for the kid, but when VEA says damn, you need to lose some weight! , it’s an issue.
People act like it’s no big deal, he played for Florida gators… He barely played even though he was listed as a starter. I can’t find the stats anywhere, but I watched a lot of Gator games and he was not in there probably 70% of the time.
Not only that but he went from the high 300s to 470 pounds and only got down to 449 with Tampa at one point. He’s a heart attack waiting to happen, they simply cannot put him on the field until he’s under 400
I just don’t see it happening
September 20th, 2025 at 9:55 pm
Wish him the best. It would be cool to see him line up next to V.V. to stop the tush push. The Eagles are coming up and that is why he is getting another look. For one play, line up and fall forward. If it doesn’t work out with Bucs , the Lightning can use him for a goalie if he can stand on skates. He wouldn’t have to loose weight all he has to do is stand in front of the net.
September 20th, 2025 at 10:37 pm
He has food impulse control problems. He needs bariatric surgery to force him to limit how much he eats. I’ve seen the results it works.
September 21st, 2025 at 4:39 am
Wishing Dez the best of luck!
We know so much more about weight, diseases, and habits then we did 20 years ago, along with treatments. I remember how many loved watching Refrigerator Perry play. But I don’t think he ever got to 400 lbs in the NFL. Coach Bowles did the right thing, get Dez healthy for his own self and for the possibility of future football.
September 21st, 2025 at 8:16 am
Kid needs help. Get a doctor to suck 60 pounds of fat out of him. With the Cells gone their is no signal for a fill up
September 21st, 2025 at 10:33 am
The guy deserves nothing. He’s a fat, morbidly obese fool! Stop eating! It’s not that hard! He can’t even walk up a flight of stairs. Obviously he could care less about football.