Da'Quan Bowers Released by Buccaneers: Latest Details, Comments, Reaction

Four years after selecting him in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided to part ways with defensive lineman Da'Quan Bowers on Friday.  

With teams having to trim their rosters down to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET Saturday, the Bucs made Bowers one of their cuts, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1.

After the news broke, Bowers expressed gratitude to the Bucs organization and all those who have supported him along the way:

Bowers spent the first four seasons of his NFL career in Tampa after a strong collegiate run at Clemson. The Buccaneers initially opted against re-signing the 25-year-old pass-rusher, but they brought him back as a late addition prior to training camp.

The 2010 ACC Defensive Player of the Year faced an uphill climb in terms of making Tampa Bay's roster after they waited so long to re-sign him, but he still viewed the opportunity as a positive, per the Associated Press (h/t FoxSports.com):

"

Definitely a humbling experience, gave me a lot of times to truly work on myself, make some positive strides in my life away from football as far as going back to school and trying to get my degree. Being away from football, being away from everything made me miss it that much more. It's an honor and a privilege, and an amazing opportunity with coach Lovie (Smith). ... I'm very, very thankful for it.

"

The Bucs had high hopes for Bowers after he posted 15.5 sacks during his junior season in college, but that production never transitioned to the next level.

In 50 career games, including 10 starts, the South Carolina native has just 66 tackles and seven sacks to his credit.

Tampa Bay decided to give Bowers a look at defensive tackle during the preseason, and although he showed some flashes with six tackles and one sack in four games, the team's depth up the middle made him expendable.

The likes of Gerald McCoy, Clinton McDonald, Henry Melton, Tony McDaniel and William Gholston make defensive tackle arguably the strongest position on the Bucs' entire roster.

Bowers may get another shot with a different NFL team due to his raw talent and new-found versatility, but Tampa Bay was no longer a logical fit considering how its team is constructed.

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