Dante Fowler was only with the Rams for half of the 2018 season, but he made perhaps the biggest play of the year, forcing Drew Brees into an interception in the NFC Championship game.
It was a pivotal moment for a pass rusher that was often out of place or on the injury list in Jacksonville, after the Jags made him a first-round pick. L.A. was a new start for the defensive end, and he liked his new surroundings.
Fowler liked the situation so much, he opted not to test the market as an unrestricted free agent. In March, he signed a one-year, $12 million contract with the Rams.
Now he is preparing for the 2019 season, and he acknowledged Monday that it will be a “show-me” situation over the course of a full season to prove he is worthy of a long-term extension.
“I’m just going to go out there and bust my tail and try to be the best player I can be on and off the field so I can try to figure out a way to stay here,” Fowler said, via the Los Angeles Times.
Fowler, 24, is part of a defense that underwent an offseason shuffle.
The Rams let lineman Ndamukong Suh become a free agent and released inside linebacker Mark Barron, among a number of other moves. Retaining Fowler, though, may have been priority No. 1. In eight games last season, Fowler recorded two sacks, four tackles for losses and several game-turning plays.
With the benefit of an offseason and training camp with the Rams, Fowler expects to be even better than last season.
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