Stock Falling: Da’Quan Bowers
April 29th, 2014
Da’Quan Bowers’ time to fish or cut bait is coming.
Of all the players who seem to be in the crosshairs of Bucs fans, defensive end Da’Quan Bowers appears to lead the way. Since he was drafted in the second round in 2011, Bowers, once thought to be the premiere pass rusher in all of college football, has been equally disappointing in the NFL.
Now entering his fourth season with his third head coach and second general manager, the sands in the hourglass of Bowers’ are just about dry. No one understands this better than ESPN’s Pat Yasinskas, who believes Bowers’ future with the Bucs is on much thinner ice than it appears.
Da’Quan Bowers. He didn’t take part in drills [at voluntary minicamp] as he recovers from an unspecified injury. Some players can afford to miss minicamp. Bowers isn’t one of them. The defensive end might have trouble even making the regular-season roster.
Pretty bold statement about Bowers not making it to September, but it’s not far-fetched. Look, new Bucs coach Lovie Smith and new general manager Jason Licht have zero invested in Bowers. They have already shown scant patience for players who were unable to get results.
Bowers will tell you that in the rare times he was allowed to go after the quarterback last year, he was able to generate heat. The clock is ticking, however, on Bowers louder than a bartender yelling at Joe for another beer.
L&L have already loaded up on defensive linemen in free agency and drafting another lineman is not out of the question. Second-year lineman Will Gholston has shown more ability in a handful of games as a rookie than Bowers has shown in three years.
With a defensive-minded head coach who has assistants on staff with a proven ability to put heat on the quarterback, Bowers better show up ready to rock and roll in training camp. Or this will be his last summer spent on the west coast of the east coast, unless it is a family vacation.
If anyone is going to be able to tap Bowers’ potential, it wil be Lovie.
April 29th, 2014 at 7:07 am
There is no question that Bowers has the talent….we have seen it….but the motivation appears to be missing. It would be hard to understand why a player would tank his own career but it’s happening before our very eyes.
Lets just hope the coaching change makes the difference. I don’t think Lovie will get rid of him, however.
April 29th, 2014 at 7:13 am
We were all praising the “rockstar” when he got clayborn and bowers, what a steal!! lol..
April 29th, 2014 at 7:29 am
He and Gaines Adams were best friends….WTF !!!!!
April 29th, 2014 at 7:33 am
I’d like to see us take one more shot at a Clemson player….Sammy @ 7….
No more Clemson linemen please!!!
April 29th, 2014 at 7:34 am
Just another example of over-hyped Clemson garbage.
April 29th, 2014 at 7:35 am
Love how a lot of these underperforming players immediately blame last year’s system on their poor play yet already are on a hot seat with their new coach. Almost as bad as the homers who insist all these players woes are due to bad coaching and Lovie will coach them up into stars. Fact is most Rah + Dom picks have really only shown the ability to get traded, injured, or cut.
April 29th, 2014 at 7:39 am
Why are injuries always so hush hush? Even players coming out of college that suffered a myriad of injuries try to keep their medical history a secret. What’s Bowers injury now? A hangnail? I think their should be more transparency about a players injuries unless it’s something embarrassing like anal surgery. It’s like the player and the team are trying to hide these injuries to keep from being scrutinized by the media and it’s fans. With the money these guys make and how popular the sport has gotten it should be our right to know what ails our own players.
Just the fact that Bowers missed a mini 3 day workout because of an unspecified injury just raises red flags for me. Sometimes I feel some players do just enough to get a paycheck and at the first sign of any discomfort they want to sit out. Players may be faster and stronger today but so many lack the same intestinal fortitude of their predecessors.
April 29th, 2014 at 7:47 am
If Bowers was on a team that actually had talent at the DE position he would have been cut last year or released in the offseason. If you cant beat out Danial Teonisham or William Gholston you stink. Bowers will be out of the league after 1 more season with bum knees.
April 29th, 2014 at 7:50 am
Dominik was the best draft day stealer and opponent fleecer ever.
Created more illusions than Houdini.
Now the same occupants of the parallel universe where Mark Dominik was good are all over Lovie for cleaning up the disaster.
Go figure.
April 29th, 2014 at 7:54 am
He’s going,to b a late blooming steal once he’s allowed to do Whags he’s done. He wasn’t a run stopping force n college he was a star pass rusher. I say let lovie let him loose on third and long being a rotational rusher I coukd see him easily have a break out 12 sack season. Ideally I’d like Johnson and golston rushing on 1st an second while kicking goldson inside on rushing downs and swapping him for Bowers on pass rushing downs and clayborn can rotate the entire line for breathers and rotation because he can play both sides so when Johnson needs a breather or Bowers do or even if we wanted to get freaky an throw a 3 de pass rushing package in I’d think our dline will b fine this year no need to draft anymore because we still have potential in Steven means and any other undrafted free agent projects we might like
April 29th, 2014 at 7:54 am
Cut bait
April 29th, 2014 at 8:00 am
yet another one of Dumbinik failed draft picks. More of a reason 2 draft Aaron Donald. We’ll be looking stupid as usual if we don’t
April 29th, 2014 at 8:16 am
Mark Dominik knows knees and character.
April 29th, 2014 at 8:23 am
Bowers and Clayborn are not long for this team. Cannot wait to see the 2015 roster!
April 29th, 2014 at 8:27 am
If we draft a Donald likd every one wants do u truly believe you’ll get the worth from him I mean he’s a great player but how does he fit what we have I don’t see us being able to fully utilize him especially at 7. But even if we dropped down to 18 to take him we have to much interior quality defenders to need him Evan as a,luxury. McCoy plus McDonald rotating with Spence also rotating and kicking goldson inside on passing downs with thise long arms how do u suggest Aaron Donald gets on the field enough. …. any body Care to elaborate hoe that’s feasible? ?
April 29th, 2014 at 9:03 am
I like Domminik’s taking this risk on Bowers in 2011 the guy was at one time the #1 pick in the entire draft, the entire draft is a gamble, Domminik’s history and grade is probably a D overall but he didn’t tell Clayborn to tear his knee up or factor in that 21 year old Bowers knees would not last, I guarantee if you look back at 2011 I bet all true bucs fans were ecstatic with these first 2 picks coming off a 10-6 year that would have been a playoff year had not the “soulja” dropped a TD…The draft experts back in 2011, gave the bucs an A- so itw as a good draft and gamble on the future.
April 29th, 2014 at 9:15 am
I would love to see Bowers and Clayborn play at even half of there potential. The Best thing about this situation, if we are looking glass half full, is that they will either be Stars or Cut Bait. There is no middle ground for achievement with these two. I hope they are the Studs we thought we were drafting and perform under a proven defensive professional coaching staff. No more Excuses! Go Bucs!
April 29th, 2014 at 9:29 am
How the F**k is Bowers injured now? He finished the season healthy. This guy just continues to disappoint.
April 29th, 2014 at 9:47 am
I’m not knocking the fact that Bowers was drafted in the second round, it was an intriguing enough gamble for a prospect that was at one point considered to be the best player in the draft, but Bowers has been a BUST.
My prediction, and sadly this isn’t even considered a stretch, is that Bowers is released before the end of training camp. Gholston is better and Lovie and Licht are bound to acquire another pass rusher either during the draft or after.
I had high hopes for Bowers, but he doesn’t appear to have what it takes to be an impact player in the NFL. I hope I’m wrong and Bowers turns it around for Lovie this summer, but I doubt it.
April 29th, 2014 at 9:50 am
Is probably gone in the 1st cut date of pre-season.
Connor Shaw is coming to Tampa.
April 29th, 2014 at 9:55 am
The_Buc_Realist Says
“Bowers and Clayborn are not long for this team. Cannot wait to see the 2015 roster!”
I can see a reason for cutting Bowers. He was a huge gamble to begin with. Clayborn, on the other hand, is a hard worker and his growth was “stunt”ed by the defensive scheme last year.
He may or may not turn things around, but he is worth giving him another year. If nothing else, as depth.
Not everyone is a starter. And you never know. Switching sides and being coached by Lovie might work wonders. Better than cutting him…like you wanted to do with GMC not so long ago.
April 29th, 2014 at 9:58 am
Re: moving Clayborne. Wasn’t the bells palsy supposed to limit him to playing only on one side? I thought that was the story coming out of that draft.
April 29th, 2014 at 10:03 am
Did a little digging. Most people on JBF were very happy with this pick. Dom got TONS of praise.
Of course, the guys that did go against the grain and said it wasnt a good pick were told how ignorant they were.
Just goes to show, looking at it through hindsight, how totally ignorant we all are and in the grand scheme of things, WE KNOW NOTHING.
April 29th, 2014 at 10:07 am
@Chef
” WE KNOW NOTHING.”
Which is exactly why I find it beyond high comedy that people are judging Licht on his trades already. Maybe, just maybe this guy knows more about players then the people who have been fluffing up Dominik on here for years.
April 29th, 2014 at 10:13 am
I agree ODB,
It’s way too early to be judging Licht.
Just as silly as “knowing” a QB’s ceiling after 13 games when everyone agrees the coaching was atrocious.
April 29th, 2014 at 10:25 am
Clayborne said it.
He played both DE psotions last year. 50-50.
So I am happy with him on the right side.
He is an amazing run stopper. Amd he gives high effort every play.
Which is great, so we can wear down the RT of other teams.
Imagine having to face a healthy and powerul Clayborne and goldston for 4 quarters?
Im telling you. D-line depth is the most important thing in football!
I say we draft Aaron Donald in the first. So we can have the best DT depth in the NFL for the next 3 seasons. McDonald, McCoy, Donald, Spence? Damn!
And goldson as an emergency DT?
I love it.
Seattle proved it last year.
Its all about fresh legs and depth on the d-line!
April 29th, 2014 at 10:35 am
That’s the product of reaching in the draft and then structuring the depth on the team to make yourself look like a “brilliant” GM. When you hand out starting jobs to young guys that haven’t earned it, you get a 2nd round defensive end that shows up out of shape after having an entire offseason to prepare. You also end up losing Michael Bennett, the most productive defensive end that you did find as he went and cashed in on a one yr “prove it” deal……..Some would argue that its also just “bad luck”.
April 29th, 2014 at 10:46 am
Giving high effort and high motor just means that you cannot get to the QB in time. Whether this year or before next year opening day roster, DE will be replaced that cannot rush the passer. Watch for Lovie to draft DE that have more upside for pass rushers. Clayborn will never get a second contract from the Bucs.
April 29th, 2014 at 10:51 am
I was one wearing the Grand Theft Robbery T-shirt with Bower’s face!
April 29th, 2014 at 11:22 am
Disagree Realist.
A High effort high energy guy is more often going to get to the QB. has nothing to do with how often he actually does get to the QB. Thats just common sense. If you play with low effort and energy, are you really going to be successful? Highly unlikely.
April 29th, 2014 at 5:26 pm
We wonder why this team has been so bad for so long… A myriad of $hitty drafts! When did this viscous cycle start? Everyone says Gruden started it with poor drafts, then even poorer building during the Raheem era (when building was their supposed priority), and we assume it got better w Schiano..
What the heck happened, how has it been so bad so long?
April 29th, 2014 at 8:24 pm
This guy is the biggest bum since Michael Clayton. And Michael Clayton is less of a bum because at least he had one good year.
April 30th, 2014 at 11:09 am
Bruce Said:
“What’s Bowers injury now? A hangnail?”
MRSA.
April 30th, 2014 at 11:06 pm
Da’Quan Bowers was overrated in college, and is soft as cotton…