LB Dante Fowler Jr, Dallas Cowboys. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
The Dallas Cowboys are looking to bounce back from another early playoff exit. Let’s take a look back at their three best moves of the offseason.
After losing in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, the Dallas Cowboys entered the offseason with plenty of questions. However, their options were limited. Quarterback Dak Prescott is locked into a long-term deal and moving him would incur an $89 million dead cap hit, per Spotrac.
Instead of forcing a splashy move, the front office made a number of smaller transactions. Let’s break down their three best moves of the 2023 offseason.
Best Cowboys moves of the offseason: Re-signing Dante Fowler Jr.
Re-signing edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. to a one-year, $3 million contract was a coup. Last season, he recorded six sacks and 21 pressures, despite playing in only 30 percent of the team’s defensive snaps. That put him on pace for 20 sacks if he was a full-time player.
In addition, Fowler did not miss a single tackle last season, according to Pro Football Reference. It is hard for him to be much more impactful within his role.
Yes, edge rusher was not the biggest need on the roster, as they had Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong, and Sam Williams. Nevertheless, Fowler made a big impact last season, and he plays one of the most valuable positions in the game. Signing him to a team-friendly deal was a big win.
Fowler’s $3 million salary ranks 50th among defensive ends!
In 2022, the Cowboys were tied for the third-most sacks in the NFL (54.0). I expect there to be no drop-off this season.
