Getty Linebacker Dante Fowler #56 of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates after sacking quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers.
Atlanta Falcons safety and team captain, Ricardo Allen, got the mic this week and it’s the best one by far.
While the entire clip is worth a watch, the 2:24 minute mark where Allen and safety Sherrod Neasman praise Dante Fowler.
Allen: “Ey Fowlers nice, boy.”
Neasman: “Ain’t he? He’s just like a pitbull.”
“We talkin’ bout practice.” 😂
@Ricardo37Allen mic’d up never disappoints.
Also, follow the Heavy on Falcons Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors, and content!
Fowler Leaves LA
It’s hard not to feel bad for Rams fans considering they’ve lost a few of their best players this offseason including; lineman Michael Brockers, linebacker Cory Littleton, and slot cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman.
LA tried to keep Fowler, but he opted to go with Atlanta on a three-year deal worth up to $48 million—and the Falcons selfishly needed this addition. The Falcons recorded only 28 sacks the entire year, which ranked second to last in the NFL.
Fowler, 26, went to the Rams in 2018 through a midseason trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He helped the Rams reach the Super Bowl that season.
Fowler had an impressive 2019 season recording a career-best of 11.5 sacks as a Ram. Unfortunately, the team finished 9-7 and ended up missing the playoffs.
Fowler was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars as the third overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft out of Florida. He has recorded a total of 27.5 career sacks in the NFL, so far.
Fowler Is Putting Negative Comments to Rest
Fowler spoke to local media after the Falcons first practice earlier this month and shared his mindset heading into the 2020 season.
“This is what I have to do this year”, Fowler said. “This is the year to put them to rest but I put that all on myself, you know. My first few years in the league I had some bumps and I’m still growing and learning curves. That happens to the best of us. I’m happy it happened to me earlier in my years than happening to me in my later years.”
Fowler tore his ACL his first year in the league which ended his rookie season. Once he returned, he averaged just single-digit sacks. But after last season, he’s ready to keep the double-digits going in Atlanta.
Allen Steps Up
After the Falcons lost Keanu Neal for the 2019 season, Allen’s performance at safety became vital for the diminishing Atlanta defense. Allen played in over 15 games for the fourth time in five years and set personal records along the way. He set a personal best in passes defended and had the second-best mark of his career in tackles. Allen played a big role for the reason the Falcons’ improvement moving from the 28th to 22nd in pass defense between 2018 and 2019.
As a team captain, Allen finished the 2019 Falcons season recording 84 tackles, eight pass deflections, and two interceptions. He didn’t miss any of the 16 regular-season games.
Neasman, on the other hand, will have to keep pushing to keep a spot on the roster after the Falcons recently added J.J. Wilcox to the depth chart.
READ NEXT: Falcons Sign D2 Running Back, Again