Bucs exterior linebacker Markees Watts will probably be spending the following couple of months getting ready for battle heading into subsequent season. In a room crammed with loads of younger expertise and a possibility after the discharge of Shaq Barrett, Watts is aiming to make his personal mark and state his case for enjoying time in what needs to be a extremely aggressive room.
After the season concluded, Watts took a while to talk with Pewter Report to speak about how he spent a lot of his rookie yr studying to be himself inside the confines of his place and capitalizing on his alternative to be within the league.
Who is aware of? He could possibly be the Bucs’ subsequent under-the-radar discover.
Markees Watts Leaned On Vets And Realized What He Brings To The Desk
For a younger Buc studying the ropes of being an NFL participant, it’s necessary to have teammates who’re prepared to show and encourage. Markees Watts had that within the exterior linebacker room this previous season and that really introduced the most effective out of him. Whereas he solely appeared in seven video games and didn’t mild up the stat sheet, Watts understands what he must give attention to to be the most effective move rusher he could be.
Bucs OLB Markees Watts – Photograph by: USA As we speak
“It’s an enormous privilege to have vets which can be prepared to show and lean again into you,” Watts stated. “I’m certain there are numerous rookies in numerous conditions the place they’ve a lot potential that vets aren’t too enthusiastic about giving again to them. On the finish of the day, we’re all competing for a similar factor.
“So I’ve the privilege to have vets that care about you they usually’re pouring again into you as a lot as you’d anybody else. It’s an enormous privilege and studying from them, I realized from them quick. Everyone brings one thing completely different to the desk.”
Trying across the locker room as gamers had been gathering their belongings, Watts identified how every of the blokes had a distinct ability set and the way he found that he was his personal participant.
“I could admire Shaq [Barrett], I could admire YaYa [Diaby], Jose [Ramirez], Joe [Tryon-Shoyinka], Nelly [Anthony Nelson], Cam [Gill],” Watts added. “All of them carry one thing completely different and once I obtained right here, I began seeing how they had been enjoying and the way they had been profitable.
“A few instances I attempted to recreate that. I used to be like, ‘Properly, in the event that they’re doing that, the coach likes to see that, I must attempt to do this,’ and it wasn’t for me. It wasn’t understanding in my favor, and realizing that I needed to be myself in move speeding and play the sport how I play it, which has introduced me numerous success now. It’s one thing that I can give attention to, hone in on, and convey extra success to so I could be extra profitable. I need to be energetic, but it surely’s been a privilege. These guys are nice.”
Markees Watts Was One Of Many Bucs’ Rookies In “A Particular Group”
The Bucs’ 2023 rookie class was ranked after the season for the way they did this yr, however no matter the place they place within the eyes of outsiders, inside the constructing, they understand simply how a lot burgeoning expertise flooded the shores of Tampa Bay. With 15 rookies suiting up for a sport all through the season, there are numerous gamers who can develop collectively and take that have and construct off it.
Markees Watts is one among them.
“Our mentor Duke [Preston] taught us instantly that our class was a particular group,” Watts stated. “He tell us that there wasn’t some other workforce within the NFL that had as many rookies as we had. There’s no different workforce that’s reaching right down to the youth and giving them a lot duty and alternative because the Bucs have us so it was an enormous alternative.
Bucs OLB Markees Watts – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
“You’re wanting round, and also you see there are numerous us and no one else has this expertise however us. I took a grasp of that early on and I recognize each final a kind of guys. They’re all like actual brothers to me. It’s not like faculty, highschool, center faculty, the NFL is completely different. It’s actual brotherhood.”
As an undrafted free agent, Watts needed to combat for each probability to get right into a sport and present that he belonged. That meant incomes the belief of the Bucs’ defensive coaches and realizing the excessive normal of play anticipated for every repetition, whether or not in observe or on sport day.
“They’re such good coaches,” Watts stated in regards to the defensive teaching employees. “They’re those that basically need to chew you out. As quickly as you do one thing unsuitable, you do one thing that you just’re higher than, they don’t have to talk to you about it as a result of you understand. You already know their normal.
“You already know that they’ve performed the most effective job a coach can do for a participant, and in the event you come up quick, you understand it’s one thing that you just obtained to repair. They’re that nice of coaches, my coach [George Edwards], coach [Larry] Foote, and all the opposite coaches on the employees. They put in such nice effort they usually feed into us. They offer us an excellent probability and they’re coaches the place like, ‘You’re arrange, you’re good.”
Markees Watts Is A Sleeper Heading Into Subsequent Season
How the Bucs go about including to the skin linebacker place will decide rather a lot about whether or not Markees Watts is ready as much as have a much bigger function sooner or later. If Tampa Bay decides to take a move rusher within the first spherical at No. 26, it might preserve Watts in an identical scenario to final yr as somebody combating for enjoying time towards somebody the workforce will give an extended leash to.
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles and OLB Markees Watts – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
Nonetheless, if the workforce doesn’t take an outdoor linebacker till later within the draft or provides somebody in free company, Watts ought to have simply as a lot of an opportunity to contribute and put his identify within the hat, and he might develop into an actual sleeper among the many group.
On the NFL Scouting Mix, common supervisor Jason Licht did sound assured when speaking about among the in-house choices the Bucs have, primarily Watts and 2023 sixth-round decide Jose Ramirez. Not at all does that signify they’re happy with the place they’re within the room, but it surely does present that each guys will probably be within the combine.
With restricted enjoying time this yr, Watts made his influence recognized when he was subbed into video games and his 23.1% move rush win fee was the most effective in Tampa Bay final yr. By comparability, Shaq Barrett had a 15% move rush win fee, and fellow starter YaYa Diaby checked in at a lowly 6.7%.
At 6-foot-1, 242 kilos, Watts resembles Barrett (6-2, 250 kilos) in dimension, and with the truth that he took over No. 58, which Barrett wore from 2019-2022. Barrett was an unheralded gem of a signing in 2019 when he got here out of nowhere to report 19.5 sacks to guide the NFL that yr and earn his first Professional Bowl berth.
Markees Watts showcased in a restricted pattern dimension that he has the expertise, however he will probably be seeking to put all of it collectively over the offseason. If he does, he might rapidly develop into somebody head coach Todd Bowles can depend on to be a real defensive spark and key contributor.
Possibly the Bucs don’t need to look far for Shaq Barrett’s alternative in any case. Possibly he’s already on their roster.
