FRISCO, Texas — The first wave of free agency saw the Dallas Cowboys add a total of five former first-round picks to the roster, following the contract extension awarded to Osa Odighizuwa and restructures on contracts owned by Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, and one of the biggest acquisitions is named Dante Fowler.
It's less an acquisition, however, and more accurately labeled a reunion, seeing as Fowler spent two seasons in Dallas before his one year with the Washington Commanders in 2024, now returning to the Cowboys for the 2025 season.
A handful of other free agency signings having dropped the mic earlier this week, Fowler joined Campbell and Sanders, who spoke just after inking his deal, in offering up some interesting quotes of their own.
No C's Keys
Dante Fowler, DE - "I talked to [defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus] and he was excited to talk to me. From what he says, this is gonna be a fast, physical defense, and those are defenses I love being a part of. I'm looking forward to it. I'm a hybrid that can adjust to anything, and I've got experience with Aaron Whitecotton. He was my first defensive line coach when I was with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Whatever the scheme is, I'll adjust and adapt to it and be ready to go."
Thoughts: Everything points to Fowler having a huge chip on his shoulder this year and, for once, maybe it's aimed in the direction of Dan Quinn and not for Dan Quinn. And when factoring him Fowler's explanation of his meeting with Eberflus and the reunion with Whitecotton, the latter garnering instant familiarity with Fowler despite the coaching change over the 2023 season, things should truly set up well for the veteran pass rusher to come close to equaling his career-best 2024 production. And, on a one-year deal, there's more than enough incentive for Fowler to try and play out of his mind. - Patrik Walker
Parris Campbell, WR: "It's rare to have a head coach calling you, so that stood out to me. I think the big thing is the speed that I bring. I was talking to coach [Brian] Schottenheimer and [offensive coordinator Klayton Adams], and some of the stuff they're trying to add this year to the offense definitely suits my abilities — like runaways and crossers, speed routes."
Thoughts: The prevailing question of who will earn the right to become the impact guy opposite CeeDee Lamb looms large this offseason, and Campbell enters a room of wideouts that has a laundry list of bodies and talent but no definitive WR2. What stands out most in Campbell's interview, to me, is that he didn't simply glaze over the question regarding his possible fit and role. Instead, he gave excellent detail about his conversations with Schottenheimer and Adams, and that paints a clear picture on what we can expect Campbell to be asked to do going forward. - Patrik Walker
Tommy's Takeaways
Dante Fowler: "I feel like I got the most reps I got in a long time… I feel like that played a role in it, I had a really good offseason, taking care of my body, working out, stuff like that, so I felt really confident going into the season. I already knew what kind of work I was going to put out because I put the work in in the offseason, so I was very confident in what I was going to do this season. I'm just going to take the same formula here in Dallas, we have better resources down here too, so I'm excited to see where it's going to go.
"I don't know why, maybe I was a late bloomer or something, but I definitely started to click and make sense last year, I don't see why it would just stop right now."
Thoughts: If Fowler is in fact blooming late and starting to step into his own, then that could completely change the ceiling of Dallas' pass rush in 2025. Micah Parsons is going to get his if he stays healthy, because he has each of his first four seasons in the NFL. Fowler doesn't need to be a double-digit sack guy necessarily, but if he's surpassing that alongside Parsons or is even knocking on the door of it, then Dallas is going to be in a great spot in their first year under Matt Eberflus. It's a big if, but it sounds like Fowler has gotten his offseason rhythm down. – Tommy Yarrish
Parris Campbell: "I didn't know who was going to call or any of that, but I get a call and it's from the head coach, Brain Schottenheimer. We had a conversation probably for about 30-35 minutes just talking about life, talking about ball, talking about opportunity. Klayton Adams, who is the offensive coordinator, I was with him in Indianapolis all four years, and so I had a relationship there… that's a big reason why I decided to come to Dallas, it was a great conversation and it got me excited."
Thoughts: The biggest and loudest praise that Brian Schottenheimer has received from people around the league has been his ability to cultivate meaningful relationships with everyone inside an organization. He's even told the media that it's a big point of emphasis too, and this example proves that he's looking to be involved heavily with all his players on and off the field. Building a strong culture and relationship with his players isn't not going to win you football games, but it's absolutely factor in how his team will perform, and the early reviews show that Schottenheimer and his staff are off to a great start in that department. – Tommy Yarrish
Miles Sanders: "Well, for one, you don't get too many places where your offensive coordinator is also an offensive line coach. It's a first for me, and it's exciting for me. I've heard of Klayton Adams and I know his resume is pretty good. I'm just ready to run the football… I'm used to running the ball and having that type of mentality in establishing the line of scrimmage in teams that I've been on."
Thoughts: When Schottenheimer's scheme offensively has been at it's best, his teams run the football extremely well and it's due in large part to the play of the offensive line. In turn, it's a scheme that running backs like Sanders and Javonte Williams have an increased chance to succeed in because of how much emphasis goes into winning at the line of scrimmage. The hires of Adams and Riley are further backing of the Cowboys' eagerness to run the football, and both have proven to have a strong track record at generating push up front. Are Sanders and Williams the only two backs that Dallas will employ to enforce that scheme in 2025? Probably not, but they're a good tandem to have on the roster ahead of April's NFL Draft. – Tommy Yarrish
