A Closer Look at Eric Watts

Edition #637

Good morning! ☕

Weeks seem to be flying by at the minute and just like that we’re almost into June. The NFL has done a fine job filling the off-season in a way that makes it feel as though it’s never really away.

The NFL has 5 months with no football at all, at least game action, and another month where we just get to see pre-season, so for 50% of the year it shouldn’t be overly relevant, yet it always is.

🟢 NFL VP of Broadcast Planning Mike North clarified his comments on the Jets: “I took some grief for saying they owe us one. But they don’t owe the NFL one; they owe the fans one.”

⚪ Fred Warner has been talking about the 49ers and Jets opening the MNF slate and remembers when Aaron Rodgers called him possibly the best middle linebacker in the game in his third year - “I was hyped,” Warner said of hearing about San Francisco’s schedule and first regular-season matchup with Madson and Biderman. “I was pumped up. Playing on 'Monday Night Football' to start the season is always a great start. And like you mentioned, I do have a unique relationship with Aaron. “I am always grateful and indebted to him for the love that he showed me [when I was] going into my third season. You know, sometimes that’s what it takes in order to kind of put yourself on the map is the nod from a guy who has been an MVP and been a Super Bowl champion who has the respect of the league because their words mean a lot.”

🟢 Zach Wilson was speaking with the Denver media about his time in New York - "Obviously, there are bittersweet moments in everything. I am grateful for my experiences there and the guys—I miss the guys out there and everything, too. At the same time, a fresh start is good, and I’m excited to attack the new challenge. I feel like you learn the most when things are not going the best. You bank those reps, and you learn from them. In three years of things being challenging, you’re going to learn a lot of things. Hopefully I can keep carrying those [lessons] with me."

No UDFA got more guaranteed money from the Jets than Eric Watts. That $245k guarantee may seem insignificant when you look at all these established stars signing deals that will pay them $30+ million a year, but for a UDFA that says two things.

We know you were in demand and we had to raise the stakes
We believe that you can make the final 53 man roster

Watts is another guy who was projected to get drafted. NFL.com had him going as high as the 5th-round, largely based on that 2022 season where he led the team with 10 tackles for a loss and 7 sacks, blocked two kicks and forced two fumbles.

2023 wasn’t quite as kind. Watts saw his production drop dramatically, recording 6.5 tackles for a loss and 2 sacks, but he still did force two turnovers.

So after five years at UConn which included a lost season in 2022, Watts is leaving with 153 total tackles, 23 tackles for a loss, 9.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles. Considering the majority of those came in the last two years, you’d expect to see a 6’6, 275lb defensive lineman who has 35 3/4 arms and ran a 4.67 forty to get drafted.