Da’Quan Bowers Embraces Lovie Smith
January 1st, 2014
He’s yearning for the new Bucs head coach
It was one of the most confusing things Joe had ever seen. Last offseason, the Bucs, in need of a pass rush like Joe needs a cold beer on a July Friday afternoon, let their leading pass rusher and solid run-stopper Michael Bennett walk away for peanuts and claimed the transaction was because Bennett was damaged goods.
Also at the time, Bucs types claimed former second-round pick, defensive end, Da’Quan Bowers, was ready to pick up the baton from Bennett and the Bucs all but anointed Bowers a starter in the offseason.
Then came the regular season and Bowers languished on the bench, rarely seeing the field, and when he did, he showed mixed results at best.
It seemed Bowers and former Bucs commander Greg Schiano were in a tussle of some sort. Schiano kept claiming Bowers was working hard and just about ready to blast upon the scene. Yet Bowers continued to see sporadic playing time. Finally, at the end of the season, Schiano claimed Bowers had been banged up all season, thus, why he wasn’t playing so much.
Well, you can bank on it that Bowers was not sending Schiano flowers after he was jettisoned this week. In fact, Bowers is boasting on Twitter about the apparent hiring of Lovie Smith as the next Bucs coach.
@Morsecodehoe: how you feel about Lovie ?
@DaQuanBowers91: I’m excited to play for a coach who can bring my potential out and COACH me
We shall see if that happens. Of course, Lovie built strong defenses in Chicago and, of course, was linebackers coach of the great Bucs defense in the 1990s. Joe has a hunch if Lovie can’t get anything more out of Bowers, Bowers won’t be on the Bucs roster come 2015.
January 1st, 2014 at 10:57 pm
We will see!!! There is no doubt that Bowers has talent….maybe his problems have been between the ears and Lovie can fix that…..keep hope alive!!!
January 1st, 2014 at 10:59 pm
garbage move here by Bowers. It ain’t just coaching that has resulted in his mediocre sack numbers. This coming from a guy whose twitter profile pic is of himself missing the 3rd and 12 sack on kapernick. yeah be proud of that one. I guess bowers reaching in desperation does look pretty cool.
With that said, I’m pretty pumped about Lovie
January 1st, 2014 at 11:00 pm
Sounds more like Schiano gave up on him because he was always in the tub. Maybe Bowers gave up on Schiano too but Joe is right, if Lovie can’t jump start Bowers he will be gone.
January 1st, 2014 at 11:00 pm
You also have to wonder if we go after Bennett. He’ll be a free agent. Another free agent – Aqib Talib. Doubt that would happen, but he seems like a perfect fit for Lovie’s defense. You never know.
January 1st, 2014 at 11:03 pm
Just a hunch, but it appears the Glazers are tired of drama, hence picking safe Lovie. That would mean the Glazers likely don’t want Talib, but generally, the Glazers allow their underlings to make their own personnel moves.
January 1st, 2014 at 11:05 pm
I’m just glad we have some reason to be hopeful again. Lovie instantly brings respect back to this organization. You know the defense will improve even further and we can hope a new OC coordinator can come in and not crap the bed with 1st down runs up the gut 100% of the time. I love the changes.
January 1st, 2014 at 11:07 pm
Screw Talib….Bennett is welcome at the right price…while your at it bring in his brother too…
January 1st, 2014 at 11:08 pm
edge pass rushers do what they do…thats it…if you need coaching to beat your guy than you’re just weak freaking sauce….dude is a fake
January 1st, 2014 at 11:08 pm
LOL! Bowers taking a shot at Schiano, I like it. ( Not a personal thing against Schiano, I bet he is an awesome friend and family man, but a football coach? he’s horrible ) I like this hiring.
January 1st, 2014 at 11:18 pm
Man please, Bowers would be a double-digit sack leader every year….. if he was in college! Lol.
January 1st, 2014 at 11:18 pm
We’re going to have enough money in cap space after cuts and trades on top of the 17mil projected for 2014 cap, to go after any free agent we like.
January 1st, 2014 at 11:18 pm
Now we need a GM. If it’s Jerry Angelo I’m going to puke. Dom is better, remember the Gaines Adams trade.
January 1st, 2014 at 11:27 pm
He’ll be lucky to be on the roster. Though the fact he is speaks to how screwed we are at DE.
January 2nd, 2014 at 12:03 am
I watched all the games and Bowers made some good plays. The D line suffered from more scheme and coaching problems than anything else. Lovie will teach these guys to run pass rush games correctly. They will learn zone blitz schemes that work too.
We need Rod Marinelli now. They have to get him out of Dallas for the DC.
January 2nd, 2014 at 12:13 am
Lovey is going to bring in people and get rid of the chaff here. You aren’t likely to recognize half the roster and we will all be better for it.
January 2nd, 2014 at 12:21 am
I agree. I think Bowers is lazy at the least and probably stupid as well. If he does not improve, he will be flipping pizzas for a living next year.
January 2nd, 2014 at 12:44 am
AC also tweeted something of a shot
Something to the tune of how he can’t wait to put his hand in the dirt full time again.
January 2nd, 2014 at 12:53 am
That’s another guy who was a big disappointment so far as a Buc. Was expecting more..
January 2nd, 2014 at 1:31 am
Always wondered what the heck AC was doing standing up then running around with seemingly no direction! Even a girl (me) knows he looks better with and seems to play better with his hand on the ground !
January 2nd, 2014 at 1:49 am
Maranelli always gets the best of his defensive line there whole defense is based off of front 4 pressure
January 2nd, 2014 at 2:17 am
Schiano and his x stunt defense was stupid. Now bowers will have a chance to actually learn pass rush moves and not just loop around in attempt to catch an experienced nfl offensive line off guard.
Schiano complained that our pass rushers were bad, yet all he did was spend time coaching x stunts instead of pass rush technique. Not to forget he dumped our only good pass rusher from a season ago.
January 2nd, 2014 at 3:50 am
Bring back Bennett and sign Peanut Tillman, Tampa will make some noise, with the right QB.
January 2nd, 2014 at 8:54 am
Bush league comment from a bush league player…
Bowers is a scrub…put ups some decent numbers…then run your mouth bigshot
January 2nd, 2014 at 10:02 am
Pressure is on you Bowers… Hope you are right!!
January 5th, 2014 at 12:19 am
Bowers was overrated in College… Played against BC, Maryland, UNC, and etc. His college numbers fooled many. Dude just not a passer rusher like that.