Former Florida Gators star defender currently on NFI list has the ball is in his court on return to the field

Former Florida Gators defensive tackle Desmond Watson is set to be the biggest player in the history of the National Football League. That in itself has turned into an issue, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have him on the Non-Football Injury list to start training camp. 

The biggest factor for him being on the NFI list is his weight. He weighed in at 464 lbs at his Pro Day in Gainesville, but has subsequently dropped 30 lbs during his time with the Buccaneers.

Right now, it's a big deal that Watson isn't currently practicing with the team, instead working off to the side trying to get back onto the practice field. The UDFA defensive tackle isn't where he wants to be, but he's got a relatively simple path to get there.

"He's made some progress," said Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles. "We have some things we have in mind with him, where we want to see him at. We'll continue to monitor that and get him where we think he needs to be and go from there."

The biggest takeaway from what Bowles had to say? There is no timetable, but rather Watson is in charge of when this happens.

"I don't have a timetable on what we can get him down to or when that comes. He's from Armwood, he went to Florida, so he's used to the heat. That's not a big factor in it. We've just got to see what happens."

Watson hasn't been known for his conditioning over the course of his career. He's always been the biggest player on the field, whether it be for the Gators or with the Buccaneers. However, it's now at a crossroads with the Buccaneers, where he needs to get to a certain threshold to practice.

Could that end up with him losing out on a job? It's a little too far to be assuming anything like that, but Watson needs to get his ducks in a row.