Atlanta Falcons fans are all too familiar with the regrettable decision to pay pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr. after a solid year. The Falcons signed the veteran to a three-year deal worth $48-million in hopes of fixing the team's struggling pass rush. Never has a player been more elite at getting oh so close to creating a sack only to whiff or be a step too late. Predictably, losing the ability to play alongside Aaron Donald caused major regression for the pass rusher. In two seasons with the Falcons, the veteran was unable to total the 11.5 sacks that made him an attractive signing in the first place.
Since leaving Atlanta, the veteran has spent time with the Cowboys and Commanders. The most recent season watched Fowler followed the same script, working with a great interior and solid defensive coaching, the pass rusher totaled double-digit sacks for the first time since the 2019 season. Now, Fowler has yet again cashed in, signing a $6 million dollar deal to attempt to help someone other than Micah Parsons get home consistently.
Former Falcons Pass Rusher Dante Fowler Jr. Continues Interesting Career Path
The funny part of this for the Cowboys is the fact that the team just had this exact pairing. Fowler was brought in to help Parsons and wasn't able to total double-digit sacks in his two seasons combined in Dallas. It is a telling stat that shows why the veteran remains an inconsistent frustration. For the numbers to be there, everything around him must be perfect.
Dallas is going to be continually frustrated with its current pass rush, with Micah Parsons being the lone bright spot of the unit. After paying both CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott, there simply isn't the needed cap space to make every improvement. Add in the emergence of the Washington Commanders and the Super Bowl title for the Eagles, and things are looking increasingly bleak for the Cowboys.
Signing Fowler only wastes cap space that should have been used on a player who doesn't need perfect circumstances to produce. With this in mind, it is clear the former Falcons defender is going to be a regrettable addition to a team that appears to be heading in the wrong direction.