Dante Fowler: What Coach Dan Quinn Says About Dallas Cowboys New Signing

The Cowboys go "somewhat in'' on another edge rusher in free agency, signing former top-three pick Dante Fowler to what sources tell CowboysSI.com is a one-year deal.

FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys were "all-in'' on pass-rusher Randy Gregory, until he and his agent decided that the language in his contract stated otherwise.

On Friday, the Cowboys went "somewhat in'' on another edge rusher in free agency, signing former top-three pick Dante Fowler to what sources tell CowboysSI.com is a one-year deal.

And Dan Quinn is a driving force here.

"He can roll!'' Dallas defensive coordinator Quinn told his Cowboys bosses in an endorsement of the signing of Fowler.

On paper, not to mention contractually, this is no Gregory signing, no Von Miller signing, no Chandler Jones signing. But Fowler has had that level of resume in the past. Fowler’s seven-year career has been highlighted by him starring on the Jaguars team that reached the 2017 AFC Championship Game, the fact he was a starter in Super Bowl LIII for the Rams, and him producing 11.5 sacks in 2019.

Then came his monster contract - three years and $45 million - with Atlanta in 2020. That reunited Fowler, 28, and Dan Quinn, who was the head coach in Atlanta when Fowler signed with the Falcons in 2020, and who was his position coach at the University of Florida.

He had 4.5 sacks last year in Atlanta.

Gregory, who had six sacks last year, changed his mind on the contract so the Cowboys reacted with a possible success - at an affordable rate.

Also at week's end, the Cowboys re-signed end Dorance Armstrong and linebacker Leighton Vander Esch to help with the defense, led by DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons, and added Texas native James Washington, the former Steelers receiver, on offense.

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