Da’Quan Bowers Getting Ultimatum?
June 7th, 2014
Despite Da’Quan Bowers just turning the corner on his rehab, his position coach isn’t throwing roses.
Joe is on record losing hope that Bucs defensive line coach Joe Cullen can turn around the career of Da’Quan Bowers. Since the Bucs drafted Bowers in the second round in 2011, Bowers has made much more news for either being out of shape or hurt or involved in a New York gun hassle than he has on the field.
That is not to say Bowers is a troublemaker. Far from it. Bowers is a really pleasant fellow, but he has rarely lived up to his predicted high ceiling coming out of Clemson.
Last offseason, Bowers was handed a starting gig after former Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik let sack leader Michael Bennett walk away for no good reason. So humbled with this promotion, Bowers showed up to Bucs training camp out of shape and was often seen on the sidelines in training camp on one knee sucking air rather than chasing quarterbacks out of the pocket.
Lovie Smith’s hiring marked the third Bucs coaching staff for Bowers. And if words in June are any indication, then Bowers may not be around to see how Lovie’s team shakes out.
Defensive line coach Joe Cullen seemed to fire a shot across the bow at Bowers in a piece typed by Woody Cummings of The Tampa Tribune, saying Bowers may want to shift his focus into high gear.
Now Bowers may be on the brink of giving away his roster spot, possibly for the same reason he lost his starter’s job last year.
Slowed by an as-yet unspecified injury this offseason, the Bucs’ 2011 second-round draft pick returned to workouts a couple of weeks ago but wasn’t in very good shape.
“He’s not there yet,’’ Bucs defensive line coach Joe Cullen said of Bowers’ conditioning after a workout this week at One Buc Place. “He’s got to get into great shape to be able to do those things (he’s capable of).’’
Now to be fair, it appears Bowers had offseason knee surgery. The extent of the surgery, or the need for it, is unknown.
Bowers also Twittered this week he was just turning the corner in his rehab process.
Starting to get my feet back under me!! #bucnation #itsabucslife #firethemcannons #getchasum http://t.co/iVh9k8B6z2
— Da’Quan Bowers (@DaQuanBowers91) May 29, 2014
If Bowers just got his legs back, he’s really going to have to push himself in the next seven weeks or so to be ready for training camp the way Cullen (and Lovie?) want him to be.
Sadly, Bowers doesn’t have much leverage since he’s never played to his potential. And Lovie doesn’t seem to have much patience for players he didn’t choose who also aren’t fully engaged in team activities.
As Joe has written before, it’s time for Bowers to fish or cut bait. The clock is ticking.
June 7th, 2014 at 7:36 am
If he doesn’t show up in good shape they will cut him. Lovey will not tolerate guys who think they don’t need to listen. Always always always Lovey Smioth teams are well conditioned because that is what he preaches- a lean, mean, fast team.
We’re routing for you Da’Quan, but this isn’t Raheem, this isn’t Schiano, this IS a NFL successful head coach who has been there before and knows what it takes to get back.
And if you don’t listen and do as you are ‘requested’ to do, then you will be looking for a new team by august if not sooner.
June 7th, 2014 at 7:42 am
I’d advise against drafting another Clemson DE.
June 7th, 2014 at 7:43 am
Around the draft of 2011 the rumor going around was that Da’Quan would only have 4-5 years of play on the knee. Looks like it was even less than that.
June 7th, 2014 at 7:47 am
Looks like Chaz Sutton just found his way onto the roster by process of elimination. What a shame, Bowers has the measurables to be great if he so wanted to, but you can’t teach the heart.
June 7th, 2014 at 7:53 am
I would rather see Will Gholdston get a shot on the outside. Seems like he might be Strahans brother from another mother….
June 7th, 2014 at 8:05 am
Another knee surgery, more excuses. Peace. Your time of becoming a crappy gospel singer has come.
June 7th, 2014 at 8:07 am
Joe doesn’t appreciate your baloney recycling line. Take a look at Joe’s last 20 posts. Joe isn’t sitting around recycling. If you don’t like Joe, visit somewhere else. Joe advised you the same thing two weeks ago. Second, a coach talking about Bowers’ fitness, good or bad, is newsworthy. Mandatory minicamp starts Tuesday. –Joe
June 7th, 2014 at 8:25 am
It’s a National story about a bust widely thought to be the number 1 overall pick. What’s recycled?
BTW, mega props on the Clemson DE comment. I’d like to add anybody from LSU as well.
June 7th, 2014 at 8:40 am
Da’Quan better shape up or ship out.
June 7th, 2014 at 8:46 am
I agree Kevin, Will Gohlston IMPROVED every game last year, plays inside and outside, and the kid works hard. Who’s to say with some GOOD coaching Gohlston, Means, Clayborn, and maybe some other under the radar guys could even take Bowers spot. I am glad that lovie and crew are kicking him in is @ss. They are improving the D line, and Bowers is on his way out. But someone will try and “fix” him.
June 7th, 2014 at 8:48 am
Sung to the Queen anthem “another Rah-pick bites the dust, and another one’s and another one’s gone another Rah-pick bites the dust”
The near epic rate of Raheem+Dom failures would be comical if we were fans of a different team
June 7th, 2014 at 8:49 am
I think Thomas has it right. Bowers is running out of time to prove himself and Lovie will not have a guy that loafs. But there is hope. Apparently, they still believe he has skills and Cullen’s words seem to imply that if he gets into shape, they’re willing to wait and see how he performs.
Cullen’s words were “”I see a lot of signs that he can be what everybody thought he was going to when he was coming out of college, but again, a lot of that will depend on how he gets into shape and what happens in the preseason.”
“what happens in preseason” seems to imply they’re willing to wait at least that long to see how he plays in a game, that is if he gets into shape. That’s a big “if”!
June 7th, 2014 at 9:18 am
I say, take him and Stocker, and send them out to pasture. Enough is enough.
June 7th, 2014 at 9:21 am
Bower’s was a high risk, high reward type player that, like a lot of Dominik’s picks, has rewarded squat.
June 7th, 2014 at 9:25 am
The sad part about all of this is that it seems like he should have been rehabbing all of last year, if not starting the season on the PUP list, since our former Defensive Coordinator implied that he was not 100%. Da’quan needs to work harder than anyone to get in the best shape possible because this opportunity is in his hands.
I hope his knee can hold up and give him the chance to maximize his potential but the more we hear, the more it seems like he is on the doorstep of becoming the NBA version of Greg Oden (his body failed him!)
June 7th, 2014 at 10:02 am
It really boils down to roster spots – he will be given a fair chance to get into shape and prove he belongs but if he spent have a great preseason then you can count on him being cut.
He has some talent so he will be picked up for minimum compensation but that knee will forever plague him.
I agree no more Clemson DEs please.
June 7th, 2014 at 10:21 am
At least he has his gospel music career. Bah!
June 7th, 2014 at 10:34 am
3 different coaches to impress and every off-season he’s still trying to get in shape..if he gets cut it’s all on him. Right now he’s jarmarcus russell aka skittles
June 7th, 2014 at 10:53 am
Bob,
Good God! One of the most visited websites on the net, Drudge Report, is a news aggregator that never publishes a single piece of their own. I like Joe referencing other pieces, then I don’t have to visit all these other sites.
June 7th, 2014 at 11:38 am
Fat drunk and stupid is no way to go through life son.
June 7th, 2014 at 1:13 pm
how do you have a injury when you don’t even play? Bucs took a gamble and it didn’t pay off. In the words of van wilders dad “sometimes you have to realize a poor investment and cut your losses, write that down”
June 7th, 2014 at 4:19 pm
Chef Paul Says:
I say, take him and Stocker, and send them out to pasture. Enough is enough.
———————————————
Different situation. Stocker showed up last year for the OTA’s all bulked up and in top shape. Probably this year too. The guy’s been committed to playing the game but can’t stay healthy.
Bowers has fought injuries too, but lacks the drive to be a great player.
June 7th, 2014 at 6:12 pm
The fight for roster spots is a numbers game. If a player wants to get in top shape his number of quality workouts should always exceed his number of quality doughnuts.