Lovie Talks Up Da’Quan Bowers
August 24th, 2014
Still surviving.
Joe knows DE/DT Da’Quan Bowers is anything but a popular player around these parts of the NFL universe. A second round pick in 2011, Bowers, who has a grand total of 5.5 career sacks and is far more experienced in the cold tub than the line of scrimmage, has been a disappointment.
But when the Bucs released a dozen players today in the process of eventually cutting down to the mandatory 75 players by 4 p.m. Tuesday, Bowers was not on the list (yet).
In equal terms, Bucs coach Lovie Smith has praised and been critical of Bowers lately. After displaying his best series of professional football in the first preseason game at Jacksonville, Bowers once again found himself on the sidelines with a groin injury of some sort.
Last week, Lovie all but said Bowers is watching his spot on the roster roll down the river as he continues to stand on the sidelines in street clothes. With the final preseason game just a few days away and the cutdown to the final 53-man roster around the corner, it might be high time for Bowers to suck up what is normally a brutal injury and try to play through the pain for the sake of his Bucs career.
Today, at his day-after-game presser, Lovie was directly asked about Bowers and Lovie seemed to tap the brakes on the pleas from some Bucs fans to wave goodbye.
“When he was out there, Da’Quan did some good things,” Lovie said. Bowers and Will Gholston, “they did enough before they went down with injuries to really like what we saw.”
Well, now, “really like?”
True, Bowers shined at Jacksonville. However, with his history of injuries, and now he is fighting another, just how much can Lovie depend on the guy? That’s what it comes down to. A guy can be All-Pro material but if he is undependable, what good is he?
Can the coaching staff and front office convince themselves Bowers is worth keeping even if they know he, at some point, will be injured (again). It’s not a case of if Bowers will be injured, but when. Can Lovie justify keeping a roster spot open for a high-priced backup with a history of injury?
August 24th, 2014 at 5:06 pm
I wish Bowers the best….but his History of injuries… including his last season of college…is only on the roster ’till the final cut…for prudent insurance….moving on….
August 24th, 2014 at 5:09 pm
If Lovie keeps Bowers it will say a lot about him having poor evaluation abilities (if that’s the case).
August 24th, 2014 at 5:24 pm
It amazes me when people use “injuries” as if it was the players fault. I remember everyone on McCoy’s case when he tore his biceps twice. Many called him a “bust”!
As Lovie said “No one tries to get injured”. You can hate a player for the way he plays, but don’t hate him for being injured. These guys have played football, some of them from PeeWee, and it’s a tough, physical game.
I hope they all get a fair chance to prove themselves as Buccaneers, and not lose a chance because they got injured….
August 24th, 2014 at 5:26 pm
Mccoy said his injuries were his fault…
August 24th, 2014 at 5:29 pm
Bowers isn’t high priced. He is making 1.227 million dollars this year. Jamon Meredith is making 1.4 million. I would rather have Bowers on the roster than Meredith.
August 24th, 2014 at 5:29 pm
@BuccBonzai – “If Lovie keeps Bowers it will say a lot about him having poor evaluation abilities (if that’s the case).”
(a) So you’re saying that you have evaluated Bower’s, and we shouldn’t keep him?
(b) If we keep him Lovie has poor evaluation skills?
So if a = b, the Bucs should employ you to evaluate talent?
August 24th, 2014 at 5:32 pm
@Dan – Mccoy said his injuries were his fault…
So if Bower’s says the injuries are his fault, we should keep him then?
What about Conner Bath playing basketball, whose fault was that?
August 24th, 2014 at 5:33 pm
None of us know what going to happen in the future. Now way can we predict if Bowers is going to get hurt and miss a large amount of time. All the staff can do is go with what they see now. No one has stepped up and out performed Bowers at DT yet.
It’s strange that Mike Jenkins who missed a whole preseason and no talks about him being cut. But Bowers who participated in a large portion of the preseason and off season work is the talk of being cut. Jenkins is a more logical guy to get cut cause Johnson, Banks, and Gorrer have done some good things. While again no one stepped up in Bowers absence.
August 24th, 2014 at 5:35 pm
Bowers was solid in camp and solid in the game he played. Maybe they’re giving him a clean slate. Unlike some around here.
August 24th, 2014 at 5:44 pm
Luke stocker hadn’t been the model of perfect health either, it’s a violent sport and only undrafted or late round picks get cut because of injury, I’m sure this new staff didn’t have time to count the number of injuries he’s had so he got a clean slate, this is a new year new defense and he’s a backup not a starter. Him and AC are probably gone after this season no matter what they do
August 24th, 2014 at 5:49 pm
Maybe they can put him on the 6 week PUP. Who knows what the D-line will be like after 6 weeks…injuries are sure to come. That would allow them to keep his roster spot in addition to the 53. Don’t know how many players they can put on the PUP list because it sounds like Sims may be headed there.
August 24th, 2014 at 5:49 pm
If Lovie hasn’t seen anybody that he “really likes” more than Bowers, why cut him? If the guy can strap it on in a couple weeks and play like he is capable, he could be a huge asset to this team. It never ceases to amaze me how many folks on this site think they know more about how to run a team than the professionals that actually do it.
August 24th, 2014 at 5:54 pm
Bonzai- this is not the side of the ball that you want to doubt Lovie’s evaluation ability in comparison when you have the oline we do that he calls “decent”. I am the watching that 1st half for a third time and they are flat out awful. Between the poor pass pro and the myriad tackles for loss in run game I cannot make sense of this “plan” Lovie always speaks of.
August 24th, 2014 at 6:00 pm
I like Bowers, but I dont think he’ll make the team unless he plays through this latest injury. That’s going to be hard to do because groin injuries are very painful, but If he can show coaches that they can count on him, then I think he’ll make the team. We’ll see what he decides to do.
August 24th, 2014 at 6:15 pm
Yeah, some of you want Bowers to play hurt to prove he belongs but he wont perform good hurt and will be hurt longer just to have some of you to say he played terrible (because he was hurt). Why dont you just let the coach’s worry about who stays, who gets cut and who plays when.
August 24th, 2014 at 6:19 pm
Mort:
Will Gholston is making $495,000 this season. Is Bowers twice the player Gholston is?
August 24th, 2014 at 6:20 pm
That makes more sense. Buys him time, but how much?
August 24th, 2014 at 6:21 pm
Well, Bowers is more likely to get cut than Jenkins. Lovie hand-picked Jenkins; he inherited Bowers.
MAJOR difference.
August 24th, 2014 at 6:37 pm
Has anyone seen how poorly the 2nd string defense has played without Bowers out there. They need quality depth and Bowers is a better option than a lot of the scrubs they’re sending out there.
August 24th, 2014 at 6:40 pm
@ Joe
Lovie also hand picked D.J. Moore. There is no MAJOR difference. Mike Jenkins is in the same boat as Bowers. However, IMO I think they both stay on board.
August 24th, 2014 at 7:05 pm
It’s going to be between Bowers and English.
I think English is better and healthier…
August 24th, 2014 at 7:09 pm
Thanks Off Topic. There are players Lovie and Licht got and cut.
August 24th, 2014 at 7:12 pm
Ronde said it last night, and I agree, Bowers is in no danger of not making the 53 man roster.
August 24th, 2014 at 7:46 pm
I just don’t understand why so many people are so willing to get rid of our depth. No, Bowers doesn’t deserve to be a starter but you can’t ignore the fact that he still has more ability and skills than most of the backups. The same can be said about Barron. He doesn’t cost us much at this point and he is valuable depth. So quit trying to run them.
August 24th, 2014 at 8:46 pm
Does he?
The Bucs have a backup who is making about the third of what Bowers is who as a rookie has about half of the sacks Bowers has had in three years and isn’t oft-injured.
Look, if all things are equal, Bowers would stay. But He has far more negatives than positives. When you have to start counting nickels to pay for both GMC and Lavonte David, it’s hard to justify Bowers on the roster when a (fellow) backup is playing just as well for a third of the cost.
Bowers may be the nicest guy in the Bucs locker room. Feel bad for him. The NFL, however, isn’t Little League.
August 24th, 2014 at 8:50 pm
As you likely know, Joe isn’t a huge Mike Jenkins fan. Lovie’s own protege washed his hands of him in Dallas. Maybe Lovie thinks he can restart his career? :::shrugs:::
August 24th, 2014 at 11:00 pm
Bowers made three straight plays in a row vs Jags. Plus he, Gholston, Spence, and Means kept pressure on the QB. Not to mention how well they played the run by getting some TFLs.
Since Bowers and Gholston been gone. That 2nd team d line have looked bad in terms of pressure on the qb and getting TFLs.
It’s noticeable like McCoy taking a break from the 1st team.
The guy you referring to… does that person play DT in Lovie’s system? That the point to the whole disagreement.
Bowers is so far a DT 90% of the time in Lovie’s defense. Yet, no other DT other than Spence showed anything worth talking about. Spence hold his double team like a NT need to do. These guys that suppose to replace Bowers can’t get pass a single guard, which Bowers has proven that he could. If you can’t get pass a guard, then the chance of getting a sack or QB pressure is very slim.
August 25th, 2014 at 4:23 am
Bowers is one of those players that never really lives up to his pre-draft billing. He has had multiple minor injuries and at times demonstrates a lack of desire to play the game. He comes into camp out of shape and spends more time with his music than with his trainer. He may get cut this year and in many think he should. All that being said something in my gut tells me if we cut him he will get picked up by another team and end up in the pro bowl. Give him one more season unless a sure bet becomes available.