EDMONTON — With training camp just days away, the Edmonton Eskimos are down a defensive lineman as Da’Quan Bowers announced his retirement on Friday.

The move comes as somewhat of a surprise since Bowers inked a contract extension in March to remain in Edmonton through 2019.

As a CFL rookie last year, Bowers appeared in 14 games, recording 17 defensive tackles, one special teams tackle, seven quarterback sacks and one interception.

The six-foot-four, 296-pound former Clemson Tiger was originally selected in second round (51st overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft by Tampa Bay. He appeared in 40 games for the Buccaneers, recording 69 tackles and seven quarterback sacks.