The Dallas Cowboys remain active on the open market in the final day of the first week of free agency, as they have agreed to a one-year deal with former Washington Commanders defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. worth up to $8 million.
The annual value is the richest external free agent deal that the Cowboys have agreed in 10 years. In 2015, they signed defensive end Greg Hardy to a deal worth $10 million per year.
Fowler returns to Dallas where he played in 2022 and 2023 in mostly rotational work. He played 613 snaps in those two seasons and accounted for 40 tackles and 10 sacks. He followed former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to Washington where he was able to play more of a feature role in the Commanders’ pass rush plan. As a result, he played 564 snaps in 2024 and accounted for 10.5 sacks and 39 tackles -- almost directly matching his production in two seasons in Dallas.
The addition is the fifth former first-round pick that the Cowboys have made this week, joining defensive end Payton Turner, defensive tackle Solomon Thomas, cornerback Kaiir Elam and linebacker Kenneth Murray. Fowler was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 draft out of Florida.
He began his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars where he played two-and-a-half seasons before being traded to the Los Angeles Rams. His best statistical season came in 2019 with the Rams when he accounted for 11.5 sacks and 58 tackles. He departed in free agency in 2020 and played two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons before following Dan Quinn to Dallas in 2022.
Coming back to Dallas, Fowler is expected to have a more impactful role than the one he had when he left a year ago. With DeMarcus Lawrence now out of the picture, a starting spot is available at defensive end opposite of Micah Parsons. Fowler could be considered the clubhouse leader for that spot in a training camp competition that will include Sam Williams, Marshawn Kneeland and Payton Turner.
