Da’Quan Bowers Likely To Start (Again)
December 8th, 2011
There was little to take away from the beat down the Carolina Panthers gave to the last-place Bucs last week. But that little element was actually quite large.
Rookie defensive end Da’Quan Bowers had a monster game, perhaps the best game from a Bucs defensive end in years.
Bowers racked up seven tackles, five tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, two quarterback pressures and a pass defensed.
The second round draft pick, who slipped from a high first round pick due to fears of a bum knee, was pretty much a non-factor in preseason and early in the season, but a few weeks into the season, one could see Bowers improving game by game until he blew up last week in his first NFL start.
Bowers’ strong play doesn’t give Bucs coach Raheem Morris much of an excuse to take him off the field, so look for Bowers to start against Jacksonville Sunday, so wrote Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com.
“It’s the NFL, so everybody has a ton of talent,” said Bowers. “So you’ve got to watch film and work on your craft. Whatever you see on film, expect it to be twice as tough when you get on the field. You’ve got to study hard and have a plan going into the game.”
Though Bowers should start, if healthy, fellow defenive end Michael Bennett should see playing time, too.
The way Bowers played has Joe excited (but not in a Rachel Watson sort of way). Bowers has improved by leaps and bounds since training camp opened. If he can continue that upside, the Bucs are looking at having a monster defensive end to terrorize quarterbacks for some time.
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December 8th, 2011 at 11:39 am
The Bennett, Bowers, Clayborn triangle of terror has been the only bright spot on defense this year. Finally our DEs are not a complete liability.
December 8th, 2011 at 11:39 am
I think that Bowers will own the LDE position from this point forward, bar any unforseen injuries. It is what he was drafted for. Bennett will be a UFA next year and Bowers gives the Bucs leverage if they want Bennett to return at all. If George Johnson comes off IR at 100%, Crowder may be expendable even though he will have another year remaining on a 2yr contract. If this works out as planned, with Clayborn playing at a high level, Dominik will most assuredly maintain his guru status!
December 8th, 2011 at 11:40 am
This is a big kid and showed an ability to get the QB down as soon as he was close to the QB .. I had to watch some replays over and over and show my wife because he really had some sick plays last week.
One series was wiped clean basically by him and AC. Please Lord may we have a great Defense again One Day … soon
December 8th, 2011 at 11:57 am
Looks like double dipping in the draft has paid off for the DE’s. I hope for McCoy to get back to 100% next year to complete this line. Since double dipping is working, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bucs drafted linebackers in rounds 1 & 2.
December 8th, 2011 at 11:58 am
Another fairly weak year for Linebackers at first look in the draft
4-3 LBs have been sparce the last few seasons
December 8th, 2011 at 12:07 pm
jvato:
Lavonte David.
December 8th, 2011 at 12:12 pm
I’m picturing them trading down, and getting another 2nd and 4th round pick
Then drafting a CB, LB, Cb, LB.. And somehow getting some speed at RB and WR.
But they gotta get 2 OLBers and 2 cb
December 8th, 2011 at 12:20 pm
@Capt Tim
I think and this is just my opinion, but I think we go the FA route for at least one OLB and a CB, I don’t think Dom or our new HC is going to want to run an LB corps consisting of a 2nd year player and two rookies, same with CB, I can’t see life with two rookie CBs (if Talib gets suspened).
December 8th, 2011 at 12:27 pm
Joe .. I have heard good things about Lavonte David .. Will have to watch him play in thw Bowl Game
I have seen Manti Teo … Really liked him .. Fast for 255LBS .. Rarely pushed out of the way .. But he may go back to school
I watched Vontaze Burflict … I was disgusted .. He jogged as if it was a warm up of a flag football game .. He had no passion .. Was blocked out of the way with Ease .. No MOTOR .. Got himself a personal foul ..
For anyone that talks about this guy … Watch him play .. Its awful … I dont care if he gets a big hit sometimes … He will be a 2nd round pick!
December 8th, 2011 at 12:37 pm
Burfict is a flag-factory. He lets an opposing players nudge get to him and he draws an after the play personal penalty. I’d rather have Te’o in the first and IF Burfict is there in the 2nd then the Bucs may do the “Bowers” pick again with Burfict.
December 8th, 2011 at 12:49 pm
This is why I do not buy the “lack of talent” BS
Bowers & Clayborn are ready made NFL DEs.
Price and McCoy have both shown they can be very good and disruptive at the DT spot.
Foster has been pretty good this year with a massive learning curve.
The core is there on defense: D-Line and a MLB
Talib is talented.
TJax is talented.
On offense, the O-Line is pretty darn good.
K2 is a very good recieving TE.
Williams is very good.
Blount is very good.
Almost all the other WRs (Parker, Stroughter, Briscoe, Benn) have shown flashes and games where they can be very good.
It is all about discipline and learning assignments.
Knowing when to do certain things.
Making good decisions.
Not taking stupid, boneheaded penalties.
etc…
It is ALL about coaching at this point.
To be this un-disciplined and not know asignments at this point in the season… to get this much wrose as the season goes on….
I keep talking myself into calling for Raheem’s job, but I really do not want to go there yet; just give up the DC spot and get a new LB & WR coach.
December 8th, 2011 at 12:51 pm
jvato24
So much spread option and spread offenses in college, more teams use a 3-4 or even 3-3 with more DBs
December 8th, 2011 at 12:53 pm
macabee
I don’t like seeing bennet go or Crowder
This team has shown, NO ONE is expendable really.
All we hear about and all we have seen is a lack of depth” killing them ( I don’t buy that really ).
December 8th, 2011 at 12:56 pm
I was high on vontaze before the season started but he is not playing like he did last year. Would be worth a second rounder or third but with his character concerns that is the last thing this team needs.
How big is davis. I have seen reports anywhere from 210 to 230 pounds doesn’t raheem want big physical players. Granted I could care less if we had a 200 pound linebacker as long as he can shed blocks and make tackles but it just seems the bigger a linebacker is these days the better he is against the run
What about sean spence in round two or three he is a little smaller as well but flys to the mall and is from the U
Trading back picks would be wise if the guys we target aren’t there this years draft is deep at certain positions if we had 4 picks in the first two rounds that would be great sprinkle in three or four vets we could be back in the thick of things next year
December 8th, 2011 at 1:18 pm
What about Zach Brown for Linebacker? I don’t watch much College Football but he’s ranked as the top LB right now. Plays hard, fast.. and tackles!
I don’t see anyone ahead of us drafting LB.
December 8th, 2011 at 1:50 pm
Dave, I don’t want to see Bennett or Crowder go either. Just stating the possibilities given that Bennett will be an UFA and Crowder is not a starter. I like both of them!
December 8th, 2011 at 1:56 pm
Bucs have numerous holes on D and O.
Unless there is an absolute stud availabe at our pick: Blackmon, Richardson, etc…
Unless there is an absolute game breaker avaialbe, we should trade back and get some early round picks. We need 2 LB’s, 2 CB’s, an RB, a SS, LG, RT.
December 8th, 2011 at 2:25 pm
what I have read on brown is that he does everything you mentioned but he also gets eaten up by blockers. That is exactly what we dont want we need someone who can blow up lineman and fullbacks on the way to the ball carrier and not just get pushed around. And if we drafted him in the first round that would be ridiculous. Im all for a corner or somehow getting blackmon, pair him with mike williams that would be a good combo for wide reciever
December 8th, 2011 at 2:53 pm
If you are looking for a a high caliber LB Luke Kuechly from BC is a machine…if he enters I think he has 1more yr of eligibility
December 8th, 2011 at 3:37 pm
Kuechly is who drafttek has us taking as of now I believe
December 8th, 2011 at 5:26 pm
BTW, Bennett an RFA, not a UFA. So he’s likely back next year as well.
December 8th, 2011 at 5:33 pm
We could really use Bennett back. Bowers made a lot of great plays last week but was also caught out of position a lot. Bennett is the rock on this line. I rarely have seen him out of position this year.
December 8th, 2011 at 6:26 pm
Bennett plays well but he is not a playmaker, and this league is all about playmakers he will be taking a back seat to bowers from now on. I think he is a great back up for sure and would love to see him stick around because he is clearly is starter caliber, just not on this team anymore. Kuechly would be a great pick up, however for some reason i see ruud in him please someone tell me im wrong about that one.
and does anybody think RAH or whoever is here and DOM would draft a MLB seeing that Foster is already there. Foster is pretty physical and always is fighting to the ball i would love to see him play OLB with that mentality plus a big time MLB
December 8th, 2011 at 6:54 pm
NFL Draft Scout’s Chad Reuter on LaVonte David:
“David ended up at Fort Scott Community College after starring at high school powerhouse Miami Northwestern program (rated number one in the country his senior year) due to academic difficulties. Despite that detour, two successful seasons at the junior college level and an excellent first year in Lincoln has put him on the NFL scouts’ radars.
David accumulated 213 tackles for Fort Scott, including 19.5 for loss in the team’s national runner-up season, where they lost to future Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton’s Blinn Junior College in the final. David spied Newton the entire game and tackled him 18 times according to FSCC head coach Jeff Sims
Cam Newton Killer .. NICE
December 8th, 2011 at 7:03 pm
I look for us to go after a shut down corner who can hit to replace Ronde and that would be Honey Badger if he’s available.
Hey, we did good with one Claiborne (ok …so it’s Clayborne) If he’s not available we could get Kirkpatrick from Alabama. I’m just guessing that we’re going to look real hard at this class of corners because they have some very, very good ones and the LB’s….not so much. We may look at FA to fill that need. It really wouldn’t surprise me at all to see us take the best DB available in the first because they have about 6 or 7 really good ones and a few who could be elite.
December 8th, 2011 at 7:28 pm
Matt, I stand corrected. Bennett is a RFA, not UFA. Anyone wanting to review the list, check the link below. http://www.footballsfuture.com/freeagents.html
December 8th, 2011 at 9:54 pm
Jax by 1 on Sunday, Raheem out by 2 on Monday! We win on the 2nd day!
December 8th, 2011 at 10:18 pm
I would be as upset by Bennett leaving as just about anything. That guy is GREAT depth. Let’s not forget that Bowers is still an injury concern. That said, I am loving me some Da’Quan!