A second veteran of the Dallas Cowboys is leaving for the Washington Commanders.
A few hours after the Commanders signed important Cowboys veterans like Tyler Biadasz and defensive end Dorance Armstrong, their division foe is selecting another player from the Cowboys. Dante Fowler, a pass rusher, is being signed by the Commanders, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.
On Tuesday, March 12, Schultz wrote, “Free agent pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr. plans to sign with the #Commanders, sources tell @BleacherReport.” “Dan Quinn keeps strengthening his defensive line.”
After initially joining as a free agency during the 2022 offseason, the 29-year-old Fowler had played with the Cowboys for the previous two seasons. With his deal, the former No. 3 overall pick got to reunite with Dan Quinn, his former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. During the 2022 season, Fowler recorded six sacks and 27 tackles in a productive reserve position while playing for Dallas under the then-defensive coordinator.
Though there was no significant decline in snaps, his output took a sharp turn for the worst in 2023. This past season, he recorded just 13 tackles and four sacks. Compared to his 30% share of defensive snaps in the 2022 season, Fowler played in 25% of the defensive snaps in the 2023 season.
Although Fowler has never truly been consistent, he has shown glimpses of brilliance since joining the NFL as a high first-round draft pick in 2016. In the 2019 season, he recorded 11.5 sacks with the Los Angeles Rams. In five of his eight seasons in the league, he has recorded fewer than five sacks, and he hasn’t started a game since the 2021 campaign.
Fowler has played in 125 games and 40 starts with the Cowboys, Rams, Falcons, and Jacksonville Jaguars. His career totals include 45 sacks and 240 tackles.
Quinn, the new head coach in Washington, has now signed three of Fowler’s former teammates from the Cowboys during the early stages of free agency.
Armstrong, who recorded 7.5 sacks in the previous campaign and 8.5 sacks in 2022, inked a three-year contract with a possible maximum value of $45 million. In the meantime, Biadasz, who had started the previous three seasons, inked a $30 million, three-year contract with the Commanders.
