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Pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr is signing with the Atlanta Falcons according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The move had been expected for months because of his connection to head coach Dan Quinn, who Fowler played for at the University of Florida.
#Rams free agent pass-rusher Dante Fowler is expected to sign with the #Falcons, sources tell me and @TomPelissero. A high-end pass-rusher lands in Atlanta. Coach Dan Quinn actually coached Fowler while at Florida.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 18, 2020
Fowler, 25, had a career-high 11.5 sacks last season with 16 QB hits and 16 tackles for a loss. He also had six batted passes and two forced fumbles. After spending his first 3.5 seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars and battling injuries, then losing his place on the depth chart to Yannick Ngakoue and big free agent signee Calais Campbell, Fowler was traded to the LA Rams for a third and fifth round draft pick. Fowler fit in well as a role player in the second half of 2018 but then really came into his own as a full-time starter last season.
The Rams may now look to players like Samson Ebukam and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo internally for pass rushing help, as well as external options through the draft and mid-to-late wave free agency. The contract deals were not announced as of this posting but he should make enough to earn them a high compensatory draft pick next year.