The Countdown: 20 Worst Buccaneers Personnel Moves Of The Past 10 Years — No. 8
July 21st, 2015
“Wait till you see what this guy has cookin’ for 2013, Mr. Glazer. He’s a Buccaneer Man.”
It’s the countdown feature you’ve all been waiting for. Not really, but on the heels of last year’s award-winning “20 Worst Buccaneers Of The Past 10 years” feature, Joe had to deliver.
A list like this is highly subjective and toxic. Fits of rage were common during production meetings at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters. Scared interns soiled their pants. Full beer bottles were smashed, and a treasured Rachel Watson poster was accidently destroyed. But order was restored.
Current and former general managers and head coaches might not like what’s coming, but it had to be done. This is what happens when your team is 30-70 in its last 100 games.
No. 8 — Da’Quan Bowers (2011 and 2013)
A theme pulsating through this list is that a team can’t completely bust on a second-round pick. Unacceptable. That’s why Dexter Jackson, Sabby The Goat and, now, Da’Quan Bowers are here.
(Joe doesn’t punish guys for injuries, such as second-round picks Brian Price and Arrelious Benn.)
Bowers stands out because he has two miserable personnel moves attached to him.
First, the Bucs drafted him knowing he had serious knee injury problems. Bowers wasn’t fully healthy before and during his rookie year, when he made six starts at left defensive end and notched just 1 1/2 sacks.
But the bigger travesty surrounding Bowers is that the New Schiano Order assessed him to be a double-digit sackmaster entering 2013. (Yes, Schiano said that publicly.) Armed with that brilliance, the regime opted to kick 27-year-old Michael Bennett to the curb after a nine-sack season in 2012, a year in which Bennett helped anchor the Bucs’ No. 1-ranked run defense.
Bowers showed up for the ’13 season out of shape and was punished by Greg Schiano with garbage-time work in preseason. After the ’13 season, Bowers admitted that Schiano broke him mentally and he couldn’t recover.
Bad body. Bad work ethic. Bad mental makeup. A bad-news Buccaneer.
No. 9 — Re-Signing Blocking Icon Michael Clayton
No. 11 — Michael “Ghost” Johnson
No. 13 — Free Agent Inactivity After 10-6, 2010 Season
No. 14 — Scaredy Cat Dexter Jackson
No. 16 — Choosing — And Drafting For — The Jim Bates Defense
No. 17 — Drafting Cadillac Williams Over DeMarcus Ware
July 21st, 2015 at 10:13 am
You can not tell me that this was A Dominik move for the ” we expect big things from Bowers”
from what I understand Dominik relented to some of the request and personal moves that Coach Schiano wanted and in return to start his draft picks at DE!!!
Pop-star sold the idea or these DE panning out and basically gauranteed to Coach Schiano that double digits sacks was a forgone conclusion!!!
Dominik and Coach Schiano never were on the same page, from the QB to DE to a lot of other things, I wish the “TRUTH” would come out, but instead the local media continues to try and protect what shred of legacy that the “rockstar” has left!!!
July 21st, 2015 at 10:15 am
Two points here:
One, often times injuries occur because a player is not in top shape. With “Cheeseburger” Bowers, he was NEVER in any shape but ROUND!
Two, for you Sciano lovers, his gifting Bowers a starter role, cutting Bennett, and most of all, proclaiming Bowers “…to be a double-digit sackmaster…”, is beaten out for coaching stupidity only by Lovie’s dismantling and hand picked replacements for the Bucs Oline last year!
July 21st, 2015 at 10:26 am
@Realist – You live in quite a world in your head. You seem to forget that Bennett was a Dominik signing in 2009, a prized plucking. Somebody really important didn’t want Bennett around any longer, when it was clear he was a perfect and dynamic fit for Schiano’s defense. Who that was, we’ll never really know. But if it was Schiano fighting to keep him, then there’s a good chance Bennett wouldn’t be trashing Schiano publicly, like he seems to do every year since leaving the Bucs
July 21st, 2015 at 10:35 am
@joe
Its beyond amazing that how every right move was made by “Dominik” and everything that went wrong was because of Coach Schiano!!!
Are you telling me that the “rockstar” would not look like a genius if Bowers had worked out!! The Local media ate it up whenever a draft pick made a play on the field!!
You might be able to convince more people if Coach Schiano had full roster control like Lovie has!!!
I am not saying that Coach Schiano was a good coach, I am saying he had no chance with Mark Dominik calling the shots!!!
July 21st, 2015 at 10:35 am
Schiano was trying to motivate the guy. It’s not like no other coach has used the same tactic.
Bowers wasa bad pick though. I hated the pick from the start. The irony is that I think he would have been there in the 5th round too, not that I even wanted him.
THE MAIN CAUSE OF THE BUCS RECENT LOSING SEASONS:
Taking chances on players with known injury histories. Look it up.
And it’s going to be downright ugly this year. 12 of the 14 free agents signed before the draft have injury histories.
Our new Middle Linebacker has NEVER played a complete season, for example. He’s missed 19 games in his 4 seasons…he missed 13 games the last 2 years! There is ZERO chance he plays more than 10 games this year. In fact, I think we’ll be lucky if he plays 8!
Or, lets look at our new safety, Chris Conte .
4 years in the league. NO complete seasons. Missed 11 games due to injury.
Sterling Moore is really bad. 5 seasons played. 45 games missed! No complete seasons!
Henry Melton. 5 seasons. No complete seasons. 21 games missed!
And that isn’t even scratching the tip of the iceberg. This season is destined to sink on defense. Offense is going to have to carry us.
Heck, by mid season we might be signing players off the street due to injury. There is no way it doesn’t end in disaster.
I understand the need to bargain shop on defense this year. We had some bad signings last year and we need to clear the books. We focused on offense mostly this year in the draft (for the good picks, and rightfully so).
But did ALL of the bargains have to be injury prone????
FYI, one of the two healthy free agents was waived on June 10th.
July 21st, 2015 at 10:38 am
Joe
Is bowers back? I recall hearing something last week about players welcoming him back on Instagram or Twitter? I’m guessing you can neither confirm nor deny.
July 21st, 2015 at 10:38 am
I’m not a gambling man, but if I were I would place a bet that 2 defensive starters are injured BEFORE opening day. Possibly more.
July 21st, 2015 at 10:43 am
More good news. None of the players signed with NFL experience after the draft have complete seasons either.
Oh happy day…
July 21st, 2015 at 10:44 am
Bowers has not been resigned according to the transaction reports. Last signing was Tim Wright on June 13th.
July 21st, 2015 at 10:47 am
99:
Answered your own question.
July 21st, 2015 at 10:47 am
Bonazi…go back to bed and get up on the other side this time..
July 21st, 2015 at 10:49 am
The Countdown: 20 Worst Buccaneers Personnel Moves Of The Past 10 Years — No. 1
The hiring of Mark Dominick……
July 21st, 2015 at 10:50 am
Yes Ty. Bonzai needs some Prozac. Lol
July 21st, 2015 at 10:59 am
Yea Mark Dominik!!!
The best GM on ESPN…
What a knucklehead…
July 21st, 2015 at 10:59 am
yea, Bonzai can’t you be positive about anything!!!!
July 21st, 2015 at 11:08 am
Realist..perhaps Bonzai is on the same meds as you now and forgot to take them, or he took one too many today..
July 21st, 2015 at 11:18 am
@Buc1987
all I know is that he is bringing me down!!! The Sun is out in St. Pete and training camp is right around the corner!!
Go Bucs!!!!
July 21st, 2015 at 11:22 am
Oh it’s gonna be a good day on JBF. Lmao. I feel the tension in the air already. Oh happy day!
July 21st, 2015 at 11:23 am
LMAO Realist that comment is sure to get a rise out of some these posters. Ha ha ha
July 21st, 2015 at 11:27 am
Wow Bonzai such optimism!
I would place a bet that 2 defensive starters are injured BEFORE opening day. Possibly more.
All of us have opinions, most back them up with some facts. Perhaps a poster has reached the wrong conclusion after posting their “facts” but they at least back up their posts.
You are one of our solid posters who normally does that. I assume you’re busy this morning or didn’t feel strongly enough about this opinion to explain it.
But I’m curious. I’m trying to figure out why you believe this. Is it..
1.) You believe L&L have signed damaged goods and that at least two or maybe more of our defensive starters are already injured?
2.) You think the Bucs strength and conditioning people do such a bad job prepping our team that injuries are sure to happen?
3.) We still have enough defensive players who are head cases like Bowers and are too lazy to prepare properly for the season.
Seriously I’m just confused as to what would make you post that?
July 21st, 2015 at 11:31 am
You guys crack me the f up. I love me some JBF. But truth be told Bonzai is absolutely right. To make matters worse we must accept that these are the only players that appear to even want to play in TB. Seems to me like decent NFL talent would rather retire than sign with Tampa Bay.
The best part of all of this chit show is in 3-5 years when the bucs start winning (fingers crossed) Lovie is going to act all superior and chit like he does. Like “did you ever doubt me?” Bitch it’s 5 years later, seriously?
July 21st, 2015 at 11:41 am
SPBF
I think you only have to go back to last preseason. There was a plethora of floppy hat adorning the sidelines of OBP. Who was hurt last season: LVD Martin gmc mccown vjax Mankins Collins Simms etc I’m sure I’m missing more like Jenkins but I’m pulling these from memory oh and Tedford gholston jeez I can’t stop. Louis Murphy. I think you get the point. Micheal Johnson.
July 21st, 2015 at 11:41 am
StPeteBucsFan…some of us go on tear of negativity once and awhile. Then some of us are consistently negative. While others are consistently positive.
Just the other day, I went on my own tear of negativity. Then settled back down. Perhaps that was just Bonzai going on his on tear.
You know Bonzai….I’m not the one that called you a homer, that was you back in 2013. You were a self proclaimed homer. Perhaps JBF has gotten to you?
July 21st, 2015 at 11:45 am
99…I’m sure the Bucs weren’t the only team that had plenty of players in floppy hats last TC.
So hey there’s a positive.
Oh happy day! lol
I’m stealing that line Bonzai. It reminds me of Eddie Murphy in Trading Places as the crippled guy in the beginning of the movie when the cops lift him up and his legs drop down. “oh happy day”
July 21st, 2015 at 11:48 am
I don’t think all of them were hurt during TC but we seem to have an above avg number of injuries each year. Maybe conditioning maybe the heat who knows….
July 21st, 2015 at 11:51 am
Give me a break.. No one at the time thought taking DB was a bad pick. If it worked out Dom is a genius because it didn’t he’s a fool. Typical bull$hit. Same with Brian Price..
July 21st, 2015 at 12:06 pm
DB at one point was #1 overall draft projection
July 21st, 2015 at 12:21 pm
Went to a training camp session during Bower’s rookie year. Dude looked so out of shape and was huffing and puffing during the entire drill set, kept kneeling down with his helmet while nobody else was. I knew at that moment he was going to be a bust. What a waste.
July 21st, 2015 at 12:21 pm
duthsty rhothdes …very true.
July 21st, 2015 at 12:36 pm
Mark Dominik is the main derserver of blame during our 7 year rebuild.
Joe, please take your Rose Colored Dominik Glasses off, just long enough too see that your boy, the rockstar, effed the pooch.
July 21st, 2015 at 12:45 pm
Worst personel move…not resigning Michael Bennet. Calling it now!
July 21st, 2015 at 12:56 pm
The worst recent personnel move hands down and quit possibly the worst move of all time was the Glazers giving a mediocre coach and HORRENDOUS personnel man full control of the roster. Laughable Lovie Smith and his clown posse of assistants are the worst staff since pre-dungy. Remember Love has to win double digit games this year to catch the legendary Raheem Morris. By the end of the season Lovie and his sheep will be under .500. Man I can’t wait to hear all the excuses and BS… Lovie is a nice guy but not a good head coach.
July 21st, 2015 at 1:10 pm
Dominik screwed this franchise up big time. But in this case – I can’t criticize because I would have drafted Bowers in the 2nd round myself if it was my call.
Was hoping for Bowers to fall to us and happy they took him.
I was not part of the evaluation process of course – and perhaps Bowers did a good job of fooling everyone in his interviews. But properly Judging a person’s heart and love of the game and willingness to work extra hard to become the best player possible was a apparently a big weakness for this GM’s scouting and coaching teams during his tenure.
By contrast – Winston and Evans are both extremely passionate about playing football and have proven they are willing to work their asses off to become the best players they can be.
I’m guessing that in Bowers case and probably Jfro’s as well – that Schiano just sucked the joy and the will to play right out of them and neither recovered.
July 21st, 2015 at 1:20 pm
With the collection of Debbie Downers here I’m surprised you guys missed one of the biggest blunders of last year.
CARL FREAKING NICKS!!! Is the Bucs medical staff really that incompetent? How about the trainers. How could the team possibly believe this man would play football in 2014?
That mind numbing mistake started the domineos on the OL. Obviously L&L deserve some culpability as well if they really planned to start Nicks. They should have treated him as not available!! If he showed up it would have been a bonus but again it was pretty clear early on Nicks was not going to play football again.
The entire Nicks fiasco was a horrible disaster.
July 21st, 2015 at 1:24 pm
The defense of Dominik by the Joes is hilarious. But wasn’t Bowers drafted before Schiano even got here?
July 21st, 2015 at 1:25 pm
I’m guessing that in Bowers case and probably Jfro’s as well – that Schiano just sucked the joy and the will to play right out of them and neither recovered.
I’m guessing they were loser headcases!!! IF a coach could such the joy out of a player then he better reassess his “love” of football and his desire. And oh BTW if that happened both JFRO and Bowers should immediately start a search for their missing nads!!! Are they really that wimpy? Oh he yelled at me and hurt my fees fees. Are these guys men or little sissies playing kindergarten pickup games?
I did not like Schiano one bit. I thought his rah rah disclipinarian style is a loser when coaching grown men who are professional athletes. Not because I feared he would hurt their feelings and suck the joy from them but because they would simply tune him out. If you want to appeal to grown intelligent men you have to SELL your ideas not simply ram them down their throats.
July 21st, 2015 at 1:30 pm
Tampa Tony…correctamundo
July 21st, 2015 at 1:34 pm
“Joe Says:
July 21st, 2015 at 10:26 am
But if it was Schiano fighting to keep him, then there’s a good chance Bennett wouldn’t be trashing Schiano publicly, like he seems to do every year since leaving the Bucs”
You mean the guy threatening to hold out and asking for a new contract one year into his deal…on a Super Bowl contender?
Yeah, I consider that a bullet dodged. He’s HOF in his own mind. He’s good, but not good enough for those types of headaches.
July 21st, 2015 at 2:17 pm
Did somebody ask Schiano why he let Bennett go? Was it his decision? If so that’s a rung off his ladder. That the Bucs and Lovie have not yet resigned Bowers means they are once bitten twice shy of a player who is permanently injured. A nice physical specimen who won’t recover his potential. Bow wow.
July 21st, 2015 at 5:20 pm
Will BO JACKSON, 1986, first overall pick, make the top five?
The Bucs couldn’t have jacked this pick any worse. They made the Heisman Trophy winner choose between football and baseball. Jackson chose baseball. Before the draft, Jackson flew to Tampa on owner Hugh Culverhouse’s airplane. The Bucs told Jackson they had checked with the NCAA that the move was OK. But later, Jackson learned he had been ruled ineligible for the rest of his baseball career at Auburn because of the trip. Jackson told the Bucs they would waste a pick by drafting him. They selected him anyway. He remained true to his word and refused to sign. He waited to enter the NFL until the 1987 draft, where he was selected 183rd overall by the Los Angeles Raiders.
Hiring Dom #1
Rivas trade #2
Anthony Collins #3
Bo Jackson #4
#5 2011 NFL Draft – RD 1 – DE Adrian Clayborn_S/B DE Muhammad Wilkerson, RD 2 – DT Da’Quan Bowers_S/B OLB Justin Houston, RD 4 – TE Luke Stocker_S.B TE Julious Thomas
July 21st, 2015 at 6:44 pm
Mark Dominik made a slew of bad draft choices.
After proclaiming the 2010 draft s the “deepest” ever, he chooses Brian Price and Arrellious Benn over the likes of Jimmy Graham, Rob Groniowski and others.
In 2011, Mr. Bowers was taken. I was ecstatic with the pick, but wtf was Dom thinking by letting Bennett walk? Just, wow?
Schiano proclaiming DaQuan as a “10 Sack” potential was his way of calling Dom out for letting a 10 sack linchpin of the D-Line walk away as a FA.
Dom traded two picks for Luke Stocker, and the future 4th was traded for LB DeMeco Ryans. It sure would be nice to have a Proven Mike LB.
By giving up a 1st round pick for a year of Revis, we face up on Sheldon Richardson, a D-Line ROY.
Mark Barron over Keuchly. And Joe, please stop with saying that Dom wouldn’t of traded up for Lavonte David too. That SOB, Dom, double dipped on positions with his previous top two picks in each of previous two drafts.
Dominik also prided himself on not draft O-Linemen. What the heck is that, seriously? One linemen in either side of the ball should be drafted minimum each draft.
I’m sorry, Joe, the Rock Star was a hella good dude, loyal to our franchise for almost 20 years and I respect that. But a GM, he did not make our team better.
The best part about Dominik was that he hired Mike Greenberg to work contracts. I am thankful for that, but not as the caretaker of the roster. I see the Licht.
July 21st, 2015 at 11:19 pm
“A tear of negativity”
Yup, been there, done that.
Hard to be a long time Fan, without having moments of pure disgust.
This list is a good Example of why.
So many years, that our Drafts were so horrible-we would have ben 10 times better off, if the team had bought a copy of “lindys draft Preview”, and drafted who they suggested!!spent a lot of money on scouting and a GM, when a $4 magazine did a better job.
Every $4 draft magazine did a better job!
Thank you, Mark Dominick. Thanks to your years here- no Buc fan has to guess what a miserable GM looks like!
We all know. We’ve all seen one of the worst in league History
July 22nd, 2015 at 12:08 am
My negative Tear.
So much more opimistic about the future. Team is making good choices, after stumbling out of gate last year
July 22nd, 2015 at 1:19 am
Not resigning Michael Bennett was, on it’s own, a more disastrous move for the franchise.
Hard to say that drafting Adrain Slowborn wasn’t a worse, first, because they burned a 1st on him (top 20 at that), 2nd because they passed on the much better player in Cameron Jordan who was rated higher by most.
Hard, also, not to ding Dominik for the Benn selection. He was so sure of himself he talked down to the media about why he didn’t make (the correct) move to draft Golden Tate instead, or at least not trade up for Benn when either would’ve been available at the original slot. Just a total clown when it came to the draft, or anything personnel related.
July 22nd, 2015 at 8:58 am
Aaron Sears was a real beast, until his mind betrayed him, and Price would have been a Pro Bowler, had he not been injured.
Things have played out very differently with these 2 and the Bucs, in another parallel universe.