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The Dallas Cowboys added a former first-round pick to their pass rush by signing free agent outside linebacker Dante Fowler to a one-year deal. command declared. The former No. 3 overall was released by the Atlanta Falcons in mid-February and is still on the open market. Fowler is also only the second outside free agent Dallas has brought in this offseason, with former Steelers wide receiver James Washington the second.
While Fowler has never played for the Cowboys before in his career, it’s a familiar situation for the 27-year-old. This signing reunites him with current Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who signed Fowler as a free agent in 2020 while he was head coach at Atlanta. This isn’t the first time the Cowboys have signed players linked to Quinn, as both Damontae Kazi and Keanu Neal both played defense a season ago.
The addition of Fowler should help soften the blow of losing Randy Gregory this week. The Cowboys initially agreed to a five-year contract with Gregory worth over $70 million, but those negotiations broke down when they reached the finish line and the pass rusher eventually left for the Denver Broncos.
After starting his career with the Jaguars in 2016, Fowler played a bit in the NFL. He was traded to the Rams midway through the 2018 season and will play in Los Angeles for two years. In 2019, Fowler had the highest scoring season of his career with 11.5 sacks. After that campaign, he joined the Falcons for two seasons until he reached an agreement to move to Dallas.
Last season, Fowler had 4.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and 36 tackles in 14 games played.