Bowers’ Only Shot At A Return
January 10th, 2015
Could defensive lineman Da’Quan Bowers return as a reserve lineman?
Sometimes, Joe thinks defensive lineman Da’Quan Bowers is a walking embodiment of a cat with nine lives.
How many guys who have produced as little as Bowers, who regularly refuses to get in proper shape, have been granted chance after chance after chance to redeem themselves?
Bowers has failed for three NFL coaches and is on his second general manager, yet there is still some chatter Bowers still could survive with the Bucs.
Bowers, 24, is a free agent next month. The dude was handed a starting gig in 2013 ,after the Bucs let team sacks leader Michael Bennett walk for no good reason. He rewarded the Bucs by getting into a gun hassle in New York and showing up for training camp out of shape (his trademark).
Hell, even in the days leading to the Packers game, defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier had a one-liner about how Bowers was finally learning the importance of conditioning. Can you imagine?
Well, Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com can imagine Bowers returning to the Bucs — as a defensive tackle.
After floundering at defensive end for three years, the Bucs moved Da’Quan Bowers to defensive tackle. He played a rotational role and was more productive than earlier in his career. But Bowers is scheduled to become a free agent in 2015 and isn’t likely to be brought back.
This would be the only way Joe can see the Bucs bringing Bowers back. Surely the team is not going to break the bank for a guy who is only a slightly proven backup.
However, if there is a team out there with a defensive coach that has enough of an ego confidence Bowers can turn around, don’t be shocked if Bowers has played his last snap with the Bucs.
January 10th, 2015 at 11:04 am
Jets/Dominick
January 10th, 2015 at 11:13 am
I could care less, look what Licht has in J Smith, give some others a chance. With all the credit Dom gets for Banks, Penn, other. He sure missed with Barron, Price, Bowers, Benn’d around, and My Lew.
January 10th, 2015 at 11:13 am
let him walk. Conditioning should be a no brainer to a pro.
It’s time for the bucs organization and fan base to raise it’s standards and let this fools and fools like him walk who don’t produce. It seems every year there are two or three guys either starting or in heavy rotation that are “what if” or “potential” guys. I am not saying it’s possible to have an all pro player at ever position I am saying the bucs hang on too long. With the reduce number of practices and the wussfication of practice by the collective bargaining agreement teams don’t have as much time to wait or let players develop. Decisions must be decisive. This is yet another area of coaching that has passed Lovie by not recognizing the limited number practices etc and being more decisive.
January 10th, 2015 at 11:27 am
We now know what we have in Bowers…..a mediocre backup…….NFL minimum…..but the point is well made…..he would be holding a roster spot that might be used for a rising superstar…..better used for someone with an unknown upside.
January 10th, 2015 at 11:37 am
Another Clemson slacker
January 10th, 2015 at 11:45 am
No heart, no commitment. No thanks.
January 10th, 2015 at 11:46 am
I think this simply illustrates the value of DLinemen. After QB they are probably the hardest positions to fill.
And let’s connect some dots. While we all debate Jameis versus Marcus, Leonard Williams is out there projected now as the 3rd pick behind the 2 QB’s. Think Lovie and Frazier wouldn’t love to add a premier pass rusher to our line?
And so how do you game this out. We have spent 95% of our time debating Jameis-Marcus. What if Koetter has another QB in mind…Glennon or a lower drat pick..FA..whatever. If the Bucs do not decide to select a QB first things get tricky.
Do we go ahead and lock up Williams with that #1 pick? The Texans have done that twice with another Williams and of course Clowney.
Do we simply shop the #1 for as many good picks as we can get. Do we do a combo and drop a bit but not too far to get either Williams or stud LT Andrus Peat..also projected as high as #3?
This draft is going to fun here at JBF. So many different options. So many different choices.
So many opportunities for those who disagree with our takes to call us idiots and a$$holes. 🙂
January 10th, 2015 at 11:54 am
I’m more interested in what we do with Adrian Clayborn, who hasn3 times the amount and hustle than the slacker Bowers.
After a very respectable rookie season where he had 7.5 sacks, he was injured in his second year then moved out of position to the other end by the brainiac Schiano who also has him in pass coverage.
Why, so we could play Teo Nasom in his position who never came close to Bowers rookie sack total.
In fact, no one has produced as many sacks in that position since Clayborn was drafted.
Let’s keep Clayborn instead of that slug Bowers and put him back in his natural position.
January 10th, 2015 at 11:57 am
No more Clemson DE
January 10th, 2015 at 12:07 pm
Bowers will do great in Cincy, NYJ, Bal or NE as a 5 technique. If we let him walk we will be pissed after he puts up 8-10 sacks next year. Pay him 1.5-2.5m/ so he can prove himself. I get depressed everytime i talk about Bowers, time to hit liquor cabinet…
January 10th, 2015 at 12:09 pm
@StPeteBucsFan, Hey Idiot [No I am just joking] I agree so many more options out there and what will L&L do? Also how do you get them smileys on your posts?
January 10th, 2015 at 12:20 pm
Soggy
The smileys are far easier than the HTML for bolding and and italicizing I explained so poorly to TBBF.
Simply type : – ) sequentially without a space as in 🙂 and Joe’s magic software does the rest for you.
January 10th, 2015 at 12:47 pm
:-]
January 10th, 2015 at 12:50 pm
🙂
January 10th, 2015 at 12:51 pm
2nd time is the charm.. Thanks
January 10th, 2015 at 12:51 pm
I think some of us are so afraid that these guys may produce somewhere else that we hang onto them at the expense of missing a guy who actually does. Where I’m from, farmers and ranchers do that, say they have an old car rotting away (I am a huge gearhead), they would rather give it to the county scrap program for free rather than sell it for a couple hundred bucks, all because they fear someone might fix it up for a profit, and it’s not them.
January 10th, 2015 at 12:56 pm
Another wasted draft pick… Thanks Dominik!
I hope the Jets hire Mark Dominik just so I can see him get fired again…
January 10th, 2015 at 1:19 pm
League minimum for this guy is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much!!
He should be in the commercial with the Boz, you know, Hey, we can go back to college……Bowers: “Take me with you!”
January 10th, 2015 at 1:22 pm
Keep bowers at DT.
January 10th, 2015 at 2:06 pm
AND NO TO DRAFTING BEASLEY FROM CLEMSON….we’ve had enough bad luck with Clemson D line drafts! Just NO!
January 10th, 2015 at 2:13 pm
I don’t see why Joe and some sheep are so interested in Bowers, He has been a backup, playing backup time that was drafted late in the second round. But no stories about clayborn’s future? a 1st round selection that was lucky to get to 7.5, ( some of the stat keepers were very generous ) . that now 4 years later has 13 all together. He was demoted at this time last year, and now will be looking for work else where.
January 10th, 2015 at 2:21 pm
MadMax Says:
January 10th, 2015 at 2:06 pm
AND NO TO DRAFTING BEASLEY FROM CLEMSON….we’ve had enough bad luck with Clemson D line drafts! Just NO!
—-
I’m pretty sure the NFL sees him solely as a 3-4 OLB rush LB. He is way too small to hold up at DE in the NFL.
January 10th, 2015 at 2:54 pm
Sorry BucRealist, but all 7.5 sacks were real. NFL stat keepers aren’t on a mercy mission.
The reason his sack total has regressed is because they switched him to the other end and out of position to let a waived player from the Eagles play his slot. Brilliant. He never came close to 7.5 sacks in the two years he was here.
Doubt if he even had that many pressures.
January 10th, 2015 at 3:28 pm
Test
January 10th, 2015 at 4:09 pm
Players like #91 deserve to be taking reps with the 2s and 3s. I’d (still) prefer that he take those reps as a Buc, but he’s shown thusfar that he’s not worthy of being a starter. If the proverbial light ever comes on, there’s little doubt that he could be very productive: He has the strength and the measureables, but he doesn’t (imo) have the NEED to play lights-out football. He has other interests that are equally important to him, (again, imo) and this hinders his ability to be the player he COULD be. Like most of us, he is the biggest hindrance to his own success.
January 10th, 2015 at 6:51 pm
Screw re-siging Da’Quan Bowers. The brotha can never stay-(Bad knees)
Rather we sign a high motor, overachiever type prospect like DT/DE Karl Klug.
Karl Klug (Stats are Reserve/back-up based)
• 2011 (TKL*20) (ScKs*7)
• 2012 (TKL*7) (ScKs*3.5)
• 2013 (TKL*14) (ScKs*2)
• 2014 (TKL*23) (ScKs*2)
January 11th, 2015 at 11:14 am
He’s had a horrible career so he could be signed to a one year on the cheap, he knows the defense better than anyone we’ll sign or draft and we need second year players in THIS defense so what he sucked under every other head coach
January 12th, 2015 at 5:29 am
I saw a highlight later in the year when Gerald McCoy wasn’t playing of Bowers absolutely abusing a lineman, putting him right on his butt before forcing a rushed throw. I think Bowers has value as a rotational inside rusher and should not be cut until after training camp only if we find better. Notice how Bowers started when McCoy went out and not Gholston, who can play inside and outside. This coaching staff obviously sees good things from Daquan. Joe did you see that play I mentioned earlier?