Dante Fowler thankful to have fresh start with Dallas Cowboys under mentor Dan Quinn
Consider Dante Fowler thankful, appreciative and motivated.
That is what the Dallas Cowboys are getting in the well-traveled defensive end who was added to the roster in free agency to help make up for the departure of Randy Gregory.
“It’s a great opportunity to be with the Cowboys, a team contending to be a Super Bowl champion and go to the playoffs,” Fowler said. “It’s a good opportunity for me to come in here and contribute.”
The Cowboys are Fowler’s fourth NFL team after he was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2015. He missed his entire rookie season due to torn ACL, but he did play all 16 games in each of the following two seasons. In 2018, he was dealt to the Los Angeles Rams midseason and started 20 of the 24 games he played for them. And then he was with Atlanta Falcons for the last two seasons.
He credits his presence with the Cowboys to defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who not only coached him in Atlanta before he was fired in 2020 but also recruited him out of high school and was his position coach for one season in college at Florida.
“It helped a lot, especially with him being the defensive coordinator here,” Fowler said of Quinn. “He gave me a call. It was the best call. I am happy that I am here. I am happy to be a Dallas Cowboy. I love him as a ball coach, the way he goes about his business, the way he loves ball. He puts players in the right position to go and make plays.”
Fowler, 27, has no personal statistical expectations and he is not concerned with replacing Gregory in Dallas.
He just wants to contribute to “a Super Bowl contender” and a defensive line that was top five in the league in 2021 in pressures and sacks. The key, for him, is being consistent and staying healthy.
A career high of 11.5 sacks with the Rams in 2019 led to a lucrative free-agent contract with the Falcons, but Fowler recorded just seven sacks in the past two seasons combined.
He blamed his drop in production on a plethora of injuries. He said he dealt with a high ankle sprain, COVID-19 and a hamstring strain in 2020 before being hampered by a fractured tibia and a strained calf in 2021.
Fowler played in 14 games in each of the last two seasons but he was limited to just six starts in 2021 as the Falcons cut back on his role.
He believes getting stronger and being in better condition will help him stay on the field in 2022.
“These past two years were unfortunate,” Fowler said. “I was nicked up and banged up. The big emphasis is on taking care of my body so I can be the best player I can be.”
But there are no illusions about Fowler coming in and being a savior on defense.
The Cowboys signed him to a one-year, make-good contract. The team is still targeting an edge rusher in the draft next week.
Fowler plans to take advantage of this opportunity with the Cowboys and he is truly thankful to Quinn for giving him a much-needed fresh start, one that he hopes will lead to a long-term role.
“He was willing to give me a chance to come here. I am excited about that,” Fowler said. “I love him as a ball coach. He is a real dude, a guy you want to play for. He knows me personally. That’s a cool thing. He is going to help me on and off the field. I am fine with playing for him for the rest of my career.”
