Dante Fowler Was On Packers’ Radar
The Green Bay Packers were active at the trade deadline for a change. They were sellers rather than buyers, but that isn’t to say they didn’t try to bring someone in. The Packers were reportedly interested in Jacksonville edge rusher Dante Fowler, who ended up going to the Rams.
The #Jets and #Packers were among the teams interested in Dante Fowler. Some off-the-field questions. But talent. https://t.co/dcYAUbTT7L
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 30, 2018
The Rams gave up a third-round pick for Fowler, which was most likely too steep of a price for Packers general manger Brian Gutekunst to pay.
There are off-the-field concerns with Fowler. He was arrested for battery in the summer of 2017. It was a singular incident, but has obviously put a black mark on Fowler since.
On the field, the guy can rush the passer. Fowler was the third overall pick in the 2015 draft. He’s never been a starter — he has only one start in two-plus seasons (he missed all of 2015). However, Fowler has 14 career sacks, eight of which came last season. He has two sacks this year in limited playing time. Fowler hasn’t played more than 29 snaps in any game this season.
The Packers pass rush has been fairly anemic this season. The exception was the Buffalo game and last week against the Rams. Perhaps the Rams game is a sign of what’s to come. If it isn’t, the Packers could have used someone like Fowler.
The Rams, meanwhile, are clearly all in on a Super Bowl run. Fowler joins a defense with Aaron Donald (10 sacks), Ndamukong Suh (3 sacks) and Cory Littleton (3 sacks).
What are the Packers in on? Treading water for the time being.
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The NFL desperately want the Rams to succeed so they can increase TV ratings by having a successful team in the 2nd biggest TV market. TV ratings for the NFL have been dropping the last couple of years. This is why the Rams are ending up with trade bargains and good free agents.
The last time the NFL saw declining TV ratings was the late 80s. The solution then was the inexplicable Hershel Walker and Steve Walsh trades which created the dynasty Cowboys team. The dynasty Cowboys team increased TV ratings not only because Dallas was a big TV market, but it increased NFL viewership in New York also.
The Rams are reaping the benefits of unbalanced trades like the Marcus Peters trade and they probably got a deal on the Cooks trade too. Dante Fowler was probably worth a lot more than what the Rams paid, but the rest of the NFL stood down in the bidding.
So look for a Rams team to dominate for several years as the NFL tries to prop up the Los Angeles market.
The RAMS have a huge SB-window right now, until they have to extend Goff. When will that happen? He could be extended right after 2018, i.e., before his fourth season. He could be extended after playing 2019 (after his 4th season), then the team will be reshaping his 5th year option for 2020 into a true market-value QB contract. Beyond that, the RAMs would be pushing it, as they would be showing disrespect to Goff by suggesting that he play under the 5th year option (even halfway OK QBs get ridiculous multi year contracts).
The Eagles also drafted Wentz in 2016, but they are not looking as strong this year, and their SB-window will last roughly the same as the Ram’s. The only big difference with last year is that the Eagles lost their OC Frank Reich to the Colts.
The Chiefs potentially have one more cheap-QB year than the above, as Mahomes was drafted in 2017, of course subject to when the teams chose to extend their QBs.
These are the teams that can overspend in free agents, as their most important players (QBs) are still on cheap deals and are performing well. These are the teams that will surely be in “win now” mode, before they join the stable of teams with established (and well paid) QBs. Teams with aging but stellar QBs (PIT, NE, NO, GB) are also in “win now” mode, but for a different reason: they don’t have the economical advantage of a cheap QB, which can translate to two to four free agents, but they do have the proven talent at QB and want to get another trophy before they retire.
Nevertheless, a team that makes two good consecutive drafts can compensate for having an expensive QB, as they will have a lot of starters on rookie deals for three years and can afford to patch their few holes in FA. Our 2018 draft is looking decent. The two CBs, at least two of the three WRs, the punter (minus the bad game last sunday), and Burks can be decent. Even if the rest don’t work two well, that is still pretty sound. There may still be hope for Moore to become a contributor, or Donnerson to be a rotational OLB, or for Cole Madison to return and be an OK lineman. And we have plenty of picks for 2019. Best case scenario: we become a true contender in 2019 with some FA additions and dead-weight cutting plus a little help from the 2019 draftees. Second best (and more realistic) scenario: we become a contender in 2020 strongly fueled by the 2018 and 2019 draftees and a few FA pick ups.
A lot of maybes. Madison? Any sightings? FA in 2019? Wow. You have a great imagination. Hope it works out.
Can you read? I explicitly said “best case scenario”. Some cases are speculative (Moore, Donnerson, Madison), some we have evidence for (like the WRs, the punter and CBs). Gute said he expects to be aggressive in FA, which directly affected HaHa’s trade, as the comp pick in 2020 would have been less than a 4th based on HaHa’s play and the contract he can command, and FA 2019 additions subtract from the comp pick capital, reducing the quality of the pick.
But please, show us educated guesses of your own about how the next two seasons can unfold based on the available information, clearly stating where you enter the realm of speculation and wishful thinking and where there are stats or gameplay to back things up. I didn’t even go through 2018, as it is questionable that we make the playoffs this year.
Can you go beyond “Haha, wishful thinking”?
I think i saw Cole Madison’s picture on a milk carton.
Good points.
Let me guess, Gute tried on the phone, but a checker game with Ted interrupted his call. Rams are stacked in rotation now for a superbowl run. Go Pack, go.