As promised, the Dallas Cowboys are making use of the savings created by trading away Micah Parsons. Not only have they extended DaRon Bland and Tyler Smith, but they signed veteran pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney, who is desperately needed after the defense allowed 37 points and over 500 yards to the Russell Wilson-led Giants in Week 2.
It stands to reason that Clowney will need a ramp-up period. He plans to play this Sunday against the 0-2 Bears, but his snap share will undoubtedly be limited. Once Clowney, who didn’t have a training camp or preseason, has his legs back under him, he’ll hopefully have a featured role.
Cowboys fans would like to speak that into existence because what the team has gotten from Dante Fowler thus far has not measured up.
Cowboys’ Jadeveon Clowney sends a clear message to Dante Fowler
While any EDGE room would fall off a cliff after losing a talent like Parsons, the Cowboys’ remaining pass rush has hardly made a peep in two weeks.
Fowler is supposed to be spearheading that charge, and yet his four pressures rank 45th amongst edge defenders, per PFF. He does have two quarterback hits, and Russell Wilson certainly got the ball out fast in Week 2. However, Fowler was matched up against the Giants’ third-string left tackle for most of the game after backup James Hudson got benched in the first quarter, and he had one pressure to show for it.
Furthermore, among 65 EDGE’s that have logged at least 40 pass-rush snaps, Fowler’s 12.5 percent pass-rush win rate ranks 32nd, per PFF. The Cowboys need a lot more than that, especially when accounting for Fowler’s awful track record against the run. He is borderline inept in that department, but teams have tolerated it because of his ability to get after the quarterback.
That is why they signed Clowney, who is stout in both departments. He ranked 14th at the position last season with a 14.9 percent pass-rush win rate, per PFF. Over the last three seasons, he ranks in the 78th percentile in run stop percentage.
Fowler is a fine situational pass-rusher, but Clowney needs to be on the field on first and second downs with Marshawn Kneeland, who’s been Dallas’ best EDGE through two games, once his conditioning is up to speed.
The Cowboys should have signed Clowney regardless of Fowler’s production, but his lack of impact thus far gave Jerry Jones and the front office no choice but to get it done.
