Just a few months back, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made headlines for bringing in the heaviest undrafted player this year. Desmond Watson, who joined Todd Bowles’s squad, weighs 460 pounds. Watson would have become the heaviest player to have played in the NFL if he had suited up for the Buccaneers’ regular season. However, that might not happen this month. After Shilo Sanders, the team just waived the defensive tackle, as reported by ESPN. While the team is making shocking moves ahead of the regular season, a former NFL player wasn’t impressed with it.

Here is the reason. ESPN’s Jenna Laine and Fox Sports’ Greg Auman reported that Watson was waived while on the active/non-football injury list. During his time with the team, he is said to have gone through conditioning exercises to get his weight down to a level acceptable to the team. And this has Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson questioning the team and the coach. He argued that the team was aware of his weight when they signed him and knew well that the player thrived at his usual weight. He questioned why they had him lose weight.

“He played at that size at Florida. So I understand what you guys are trying to do for safety reasons. But it’s how he played at Florida. So why draft him if you’re not going to allow him to play the game of football? Why not let him finish out his childhood dream? Why even put him through the ringer like that? It confuses me,” Johnson argued. He even added that he hopes the team brings him back.

He wasn’t wrong about the player’s potential at his initial weight. He weighed 464 pounds on the Florida Gators’ Pro Day but still made an impressive showing, completing the 40-yard dash in 5.93 seconds. During his four years with the Gators, he had 63 total tackles. Now, Watson has also addressed the issues with his weight and diet and called it his “vice” and “addiction.” Even the heaviest players in the NFL until now are nearly 100 pounds lighter than him. Daniel Faalele was this past season’s heaviest player, weighing in at 384 pounds.

But as Johnson reiterated, it might be different for Watson. After getting no invitations for the NFL Scouting Combine, there was a chance for him to get selected on Draft Day 3, but his name wasn’t called. However, his talent brought him to the Bucs. He is officially listed at 449 pounds. While he didn’t get any practice snaps at training camp or preseason snaps with the Bucs, he participated in the minicamps. He was present for the rookie minicamp in May as well as the team’s three-day mandatory minicamp held in June.

Earlier in the summer, head coach Todd Bowles shared that they kept him on the roster to get him better and “to be a healthier player”. It seems the player’s weight is still not enough. However, there’s a chance that the team might bring him back on the 16-man practice squad as Bowles teased. That will be possible if another team doesn’t claim him. Watson’s cut comes just after Deion Sanders’ son’s.

The Bucs cut Shilo Sanders ahead of the roster cut deadline

The Buccaneers’ rookie safety Sanders was waived by the Bucs. This comes just a day after he was ejected from a preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. It happened when Sanders punched tight end Zach Davidson, making contact with his helmet, a violation that drew an immediate penalty and criticism from his head coach.

The incident occurred in the third quarter of the game. Head coach Bowles addressed the situation after the game, calling Sanders’ actions “inexcusable.” “You can’t throw punches in this league, that’s inexcusable. They’re going to get you every time. You’ve got to grow from that,” the coach told reporters.

Sanders had shown promise earlier this preseason, performing well in the Buccaneers’ first exhibition game. However, the punch and the waiver have caused a stir. He was competing for the team’s fourth safety spot after he signed a three-year, $2.9 million deal with the team. However, there’s a chance, as per Mike Florio, that Sanders can get back to the Bucs’ roster. “Sanders could, in theory, sign with the Bucs’ practice squad, after clearing waivers… The bigger question is whether he’s good enough to compete and to play at the NFL level,” Florio said

With final roster cuts looming, it will depend on the Bucs or a different team if they wish to acquire Shilo Sanders.