Getty Dante Fowler walks out of the tunnel before the Rams and Saints game on September 15, 2019.
This would be the perfect offseason for the San Francisco 49ers to lure in players who know the NFC West with the litany of names out there in free agency.
Newly released Bobby Wagner is a trending option after playing for the Seattle Seahawks one last time. Darious Williams of the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams is a free agent, plus he’s considered a “dream signing” by S.F that was mentioned in this Heavy on 49ers story. Chandler Jones is another idea floating around, now that he and the Arizona Cardinals are no longer a pairing.
But even the players who weren’t in the division last season, but knows the west well, are considered options. And per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area on Thursday, March 10, there’s one defender who helped spark the Rams’ 2018 run mentioned as a 49ers’ free agent possibility: Edge rusher Dante Fowler.
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Why Fowler Could be a 49ers Fit
The former Atlanta Falcons defensive end could command a good amount of attention in the free agent market, considering he’s still young at 27 and has 35 career sacks.
Fowler made Maiocco’s list of six veterans the 49ers could pursue. Here’s why the longtime Bay Area columnist and 49ers team insider believes Fowler could be a fit for the ‘Niners:
“At this stage of his NFL career, Dante Fowler is viewed more as a No. 3 edge player and not a starter. He is the kind of reclamation project who could have a lot of success under the tutelage of 49ers defensive line coach Kris Kocurek.
The 49ers need more edge rushers to team with Bosa and Samson Ebukam, and Fowler would fit in nicely on a one-year, prove-it contract as a situational pass rusher.”
It’s sounding as if last season’s second-leading rusher Arden Key may become hard to resign, since he’s an unrestricted free agent. General manager John Lynch already shared with reporters during the NFL Combine that fellow free agent defender D.J. Jones will be hard to keep, which would be a significant loss for the interior defensive line.
But as mentioned, Fowler knows the NFC West well: He once went after Jimmy Garoppolo as a member of the Rams.
Fowler With the Rams & Versus the 49ers
Before the Rams made the splashy trade that brought Super Bowl 50 Most Valuable Player Von Miller in via the Denver Broncos, Fowler was considered that late free agent spark who helped propel the Rams to the 2018 season NFC crown.
Fowler was dealt away by the Jacksonville Jaguars before the trading deadline. He was on the winning side when his Rams played the 49ers in the ’18 season final game: A 48-32 Rams win that saw Fowler collect four tackles.
But that would be the last time Fowler won against the 49ers. Even in a December 21, 2019 game that saw Fowler snatch 2.5 sacks, Fowler and the Rams were on the losing end twice that season — his last with the Rams and in the division. According to Pro Football Reference, Fowler has gone 1-4 all-time against the 49ers.
His sack production may have declined (only a combined 7.5 sacks with the Falcons after snatching 11.5 in final season with the Rams). But he’s shown that the explosive get-off that made him a high draft pick and defensive starter is still there:
Dante Fowler works flat down the line & puts a big hit on Adrian Peterson. Can watch this all day! #stoptherun #riseupatl
And, when you plug Fowler alongside an elite, established pass rusher like Aaron Donald when the decorated defender commands the most trench attention, this happens: Fowler becomes the disruptive one.
🗣Siri, play highlights of Dante Fowler Jr. getting to the QB on repeat.
One of the highlights he did have in his shortened stay in Atlanta? This strip sack of Tom Brady:
Dante Fowler Jr with the strip sack on Tom Brady! #DirtyBirds #Falcons #NFLSunday
(via @AtlantaFalcons)
Fowler shouldn’t come at an expensive value and, as Maiocco noted, can come in on a “prove it” deal. But the 49ers have seen pass rushers thrive under defensive line coach Kris Kocurek after a falling out at their last stop…a la Key.
The addition of Fowler could give the 49ers more added speed off the edge. And if this franchise somehow keeps Key from drifting off and finds a way to add Fowler, you could be looking at the best four-headed monster defensive end rotation in the NFL with him, Key, Samson Ebukam and Nick Bosa.