Bucs outdoors linebacker Markees Watts will likely be spending the subsequent couple of months making ready for battle heading into subsequent season. In a room full of loads of younger expertise and a chance 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 throughout the confines of his place and capitalizing on his alternative to be within the league.
Who is aware of? He may very well 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 keen to show and encourage. Markees Watts had that within the outdoors linebacker room this previous season and that really introduced the very best 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 very best cross rusher he might be.
Bucs OLB Markees Watts – Photograph by: USA At present
“It’s an enormous privilege to have vets which are keen to show and lean again into you,” Watts stated. “I’m certain there are a variety of rookies in a variety of 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 and so they’re pouring again into you as a lot as you’ll anybody else. It’s an enormous privilege and studying from them, I discovered from them quick. All people brings one thing completely different to the desk.”
Trying across the locker room as gamers have been gathering their belongings, Watts identified how every of the fellows had a unique ability set and the way he found that he was his personal participant.
“I’ll admire Shaq [Barrett], I’ll admire YaYa [Diaby], Jose [Ramirez], Joe [Tryon-Shoyinka], Nelly [Anthony Nelson], Cam [Gill],” Watts added. “All of them convey one thing completely different and after I acquired right here, I began seeing how they have been taking part in and the way they have 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 cross dashing and play the sport how I play it, which has introduced me a variety of success now. It’s one thing that I can give attention to, hone in on, and produce extra success to so I might be extra profitable. I need to be lively, nevertheless it’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, throughout the constructing, they notice 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 a variety of gamers who can develop collectively and take that have and construct off it.
Markees Watts is certainly one of them.
“Our mentor Duke [Preston] taught us instantly that our class was a particular group,” Watts stated. “He tell us that there wasn’t another crew within the NFL that had as many rookies as we had. There’s no different crew that’s reaching right down to the youth and giving them a lot accountability 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 a variety of us and no one else has this expertise however us. I took a grasp of that early on and I admire each final a kind of guys. They’re all like actual brothers to me. It’s not like faculty, highschool, center college, the NFL is completely different. It’s actual brotherhood.”
As an undrafted free agent, Watts needed to struggle for each likelihood to get right into a sport and present that he belonged. That meant incomes the belief of the Bucs’ defensive coaches and understanding 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 concerning the defensive teaching workers. “They’re those that basically need to chew you out. As quickly as you do one thing incorrect, you do one thing that you simply’re higher than, they don’t have to talk to you about it as a result of you already know. You realize their normal.
“You realize that they’ve completed the very best job a coach can do for a participant, and in the event you come up brief, you already know it’s one thing that you simply acquired to repair. They’re that nice of coaches, my coach [George Edwards], coach [Larry] Foote, and all the opposite coaches on the workers. They put in such nice effort and so they feed into us. They offer us likelihood 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 surface linebacker place will decide so much about whether or not Markees Watts is ready as much as have an even bigger position sooner or later. If Tampa Bay decides to take a cross rusher within the first spherical at No. 26, it might hold Watts in the same scenario to final yr as somebody combating for enjoying time in opposition to somebody the crew will give an extended leash to.
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles and OLB Markees Watts – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
Nevertheless, if the crew 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 title 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 a number of the in-house choices the Bucs have, primarily Watts and 2023 sixth-round choose Jose Ramirez. Certainly not does that signify they’re happy with the place they’re within the room, nevertheless it does present that each guys will likely be within the combine.
With restricted taking part in time this yr, Watts made his influence identified when he was subbed into video games and his 23.1% cross rush win charge was the very best in Tampa Bay final yr. By comparability, Shaq Barrett had a 15% cross rush win charge, 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 steer 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 likely be seeking to put all of it collectively over the offseason. If he does, he might shortly develop into somebody head coach Todd Bowles can depend on to be a real defensive spark and key contributor.
Perhaps the Bucs don’t need to look far for Shaq Barrett’s alternative in spite of everything. Perhaps he’s already on their roster.
