Trainer’s Room Twins Sidelined
August 4th, 2014
Bucs DE Da’Quan Bowers was sidelined (again) Monday, as was oft-injured TE Luke Stocker.
Joe is not trying to be mean or hurtful in this post, but if there was any sight at Bucs practice that spoke volumes about the status and shaky futures of a pair of Bucs hangers-on, it was seen today.
On one side of the Tampa Bay practice field in a sparkling clean white jersey and red shorts, wearing a Bucs cap and a compression bandage on his right leg, stood fan favorite, tight end Luke Stocker.
On the other side of the field wearing red shorts, a red jersey and a Bucs visor was defensive end Da’Quan Bowers.
If for some reason that duo never sees a Tampa practice field again, that image would be a fitting, lasting image. Both players, drafted with high expectations, have instead led the NFL in the cold tub and in the lone statistical category: games missed.
Both Bowers and Stocker were drafted three years ago, in the second and fourth rounds, respectively, and have done little to warrant their selections. Both seemingly are always hurt in some way.
Despite wearing a compression bandage, Bucs coach Lovie Smith noted Stocker (as well as Bowers), were just sore from training camp and thus held out.
The interesting thing was, less than 24 hours before practice started Monday, Bowers declared himself a born again NFL player and that his growth as an NFL defensive end was stunted as former coach Greg Schiano had turned him mental. Now that Schiano is gone, you will see a new Bowers, promise, Bowers said.
Yet, it was the same old Bowers who was at practice Monday. Sidelined with a malady of some sort.
Joe’s just guessing Bowers was hearing Schiano’s voice in his head. (Again.)
For two guys who are hanging onto a job by the slimmest of threads, sitting out a practice short of compound fracture is just begging for Bucs general manager Jason Licht to turn the page. After all, it’s not like the Bucs are in a world of hurt for a defensive end or another tight end.
Joe hopes both Bowers and Stocker can turn their fortunes around. But the sight of both (again) in street clothes tells Joe that nothing about Bowers and Stocker is going to change any time soon.
August 4th, 2014 at 8:50 pm
Minor issue intermittently, and only for a small percentage of mobile readers. –Joe
August 4th, 2014 at 8:56 pm
Wow the saga of Morris-Dominick draft failures just keeps on developing! Thankfully Schiano helped bring Means in so the ever increasing likelihood of Bowers getting released won’t be that bad at all. As for Stocker I personally gave up on him last year, so hearing him and injury in the same sentence is pretty much a given. So disappointing to see so little production out of 2nd and 4th round picks.
August 4th, 2014 at 8:59 pm
jeffbuc:
If you know how to solve the redirects, you can become a very rich man very quickly. Joe has ZEE-roe control over them.
Here is how to get around them quickly:
Droid: Hit the back button.
iPad/iPhone: Hit the home buttom then click on the Safari icon. Voila, problem avoided.
August 4th, 2014 at 9:21 pm
Clearing the cache and history fixes it as well, Joe…at least it does for me on my android tablet.
“Yet, it was the same old Bowers who was at practice Monday. Sidelined with a malady of some sort.” – Joe
The coaches do tend to rest players for a day every now and then. Sometimes I wonder if they are doing it as a test to see if the player insists on working out and taking no days off.
Stocker is probably really sore. Bowers? I could care less about.
Heck, I barely care about Stocker.
August 4th, 2014 at 9:36 pm
“…less than 24 hours before practice started Monday, Cheeseburger Bowers declared himself a born again NFL player…”
What a waste. So pathetic. “Born again NFL player, yeah, and he promised double digit sacks last year too. THIS is the perfect example of “POTENTIAL”. All this God given ability, but NO HEART.
Time to turn the page. I hope Licht has them both gone by the time I submit this comment
August 4th, 2014 at 9:40 pm
Luke Stocker is a fan favorite….what?
August 4th, 2014 at 10:58 pm
They’re both potatoe chips and the Bucs are better off getting someone healthier and hungrier on the roster.
August 4th, 2014 at 11:06 pm
Our poor man’s “Jason Witten” always looks slow too. Dominik’s philosophy was to build through the draft. Yikes!
August 4th, 2014 at 11:48 pm
One of them is toast writing on the wall reads it maybe stocker bowers may get lucky cuz Lovie loves DEs but then again Lovie will cut guys if their not performing
August 5th, 2014 at 2:19 am
If Bowers has Schiano’s voice in his head then he has sh!t for brains. Cut his ass already if he doesn’t want to play.
August 5th, 2014 at 4:15 am
let’s not forget that bowers was touted as a top first round pick in the draft (perhaps even a number 1 if my memory serves me correctly) until injury worries dropped him to the second round, where we took a chance on him in the hope that he would remain healthy (which he has not)…
August 5th, 2014 at 6:20 am
As Coach John McKay would say, “You can’t make the club in the tub.” Think D. Brooks didn’t have a few aches and pains when he suited up 200+ straight games?
August 5th, 2014 at 6:59 am
If Bowers has the potential for being a utility lineman, I don’t see why we don’t let him go when trimming down to 53 then bringing him back on once the other teams get a chance to pass on him. We could get him for a minimum contract and let him grind it out. That way we get some versatile work when he can contribute without paying anything of any consequence
August 5th, 2014 at 8:34 am
“sitting out a practice short of compound fracture is just begging for Bucs general manager Jason Licht to turn the page.”
Totally agree! Both of these guys have to realize they are on the bubble and have to play thru pain. Neither are close to the top of the depth chart and neither are elite. Play or take a hike!
August 5th, 2014 at 6:04 pm
i’ve got a feeling Lovie & Licht saw this coming based on feedback from the holdover personnel people. one more reason they may have prioritized TE and DE in free agency