Dante Fowler sets high expectations for himself in first year with Cowboys

Dante Fowler is setting expectations high for his first season with the Dallas Cowboys.

As training camp begins, the former top-three draft pick is readying to prove to the rest of the NFL that they never should’ve doubted him.

“Oh yeah, I got some stuff to prove,” stated Fowler, via The Athletic. “Prove that I am who I am, and I can be a double-digit sack guy, and I’m one of the best ends in the league.

“.. What (Randy Gregory was doing last year), it’s my turn to do that.”

Of course, the Cowboys lost Gregory to the Denver Broncos earlier this offseason, but Fowler could become one of their most important defensive pieces if he can step into his role.

Moreover, the former Florida standout was the third overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft to the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he showcased his immense talent before taking his talents to other NFL franchises.

Unfortunately, Fowler tore his ACL on the first day of mini-camp the year he was drafted, causing him to miss his entire rookie season. Then, the Florida alumnus made his pro debut in 2016 and totaled 53 tackles and 12 sacks over the next two seasons. The Jaguars traded him to the Los Angeles Rams midway through the 2018 season in exchange for third and fifth round picks.

Fowler went on to play a big role for LA the rest of the season, even recording four tackles in a Super Bowl loss to the Patriots. The Rams signed him to a one-year, $14 million extension the following season. Fowler shined in his first full season with the Rams in 2019, finishing with career highs in both tackles (58) and sacks (11.5). That enabled him to sign a three-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons the following offseason. He totaled 7.5 sacks over the next two seasons before the team released him in February.

The defensive end is set to join a Dallas Cowboys team coming off of a 12-5 season in which they lost to San Francisco in the wild card round of the playoffs. There he will reunite for defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, whom he played for while at Florida. The Cowboys finished with 41 sacks as a team, which tied them with Arizona for 13th in the league.

The addition of a supremely motivated Dante Fowler should help them improve on that number and then some in 2022.

On3’s Chandler Vessels contributed to this article.