The Atlanta Falcons have filled a major need by agreeing to terms with pass rusher Dante Fowler on a three-year, $48 million deal, a source told ESPN’s Vaughn McClure on Wednesday.
The Falcons generated just 28 sacks last season, and Fowler, who played for Falcons coach Dan Quinn while in college at Florida, gives them the quickness off the edge to pair with Grady Jarrett‘s push inside.
Fowler had 11.5 sacks with the Los Angeles Rams last season after 3 1/2 turbulent seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Rams acquired Fowler, who turns 26 in August, at the trade deadline in 2018 and he showed steady improvement down the stretch and into the postseason. He produced a signature moment in the NFC Championship Game when he pressured New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees into throwing an errant pass that was intercepted and eventually led to a Rams field goal and a trip to Super Bowl LIII.
Fowler played the 2019 season on a one-year deal worth $12 million.
His time with the Rams has been drastically different from his tenure in Jacksonville, when he was beset by issues on and off the field.
The third-overall pick by the Jaguars in 2015, Fowler did not play his rookie season after tearing his ACL during rookie minicamp. In 2016, Fowler was captured on video apparently refereeing a fight between his girlfriend and the mother of his child. A few weeks later, Fowler was arrested and charged with misdemeanor counts of assault against a police officer and resisting arrest without violence; the charges were later dropped.
Fowler also was involved in several practice fights and served a one-week suspension in training camp for a fight that involved Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. Fowler also was suspended for the season opener after pleading no contest to charges of battery, criminal mischief and petty theft stemming from a July 2017 arrest in his hometown of St. Petersburg. He also was issued more than 10 traffic citations in a two-year period.
In four NFL seasons, Fowler has 27.5 sacks, 43 quarterback hits, 6 forced fumbles and 6 fumble recoveries.
ESPN’s Vaughn McClure and Lindsey Thiry contributed to this report.
Source : ESPN
