Dante Fowler Jr.: Wanted, but option not picked up

http://www.jaguars.com/news/article-Jagu...08ea4af83b


Jaguars hopeful that long-term deal can be reached with DE Dante Fowler Jr. following 2018 season; opt not to pick up 2019 option

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Jags decline to pick up Dante Fowler's fifth-year option

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000...ear-option


The Jacksonville Jaguars will decline to pick up pass rusher Dante Fowler's fifth-year option, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reports. Fowler was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 draft.

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Need a trade or a multi year deal.

Simply cannot let a 3rd overall and first defensive player taken walk for nothing.

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I think this was a mistake.
10 sack season. He'll get a huge deal next year elsewhere if he had a good season

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I hope we can work something out to keep him

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I think this was a mistake.
10 sack season. He'll get a huge deal next year elsewhere if he had a good season

This can play out multiple ways. I think the FO were wise to keep their options open. 

Scenarios:
1. Huge season + no injuries = cut Campbell and try to sign Fowler to play big end; this might also mean cutting Malik and Dareus to pay all the young guns
2. Huge season but injuries/off-field issues = let him walk and get comp pick 
3. Huge season but out of playoff contention = try to trade to playoff contender for higher pick than comp pick
3. Bad season = let him walk and get comp pick

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"I am only an average man, but by George, I work harder at it than the average man." - Teddy Roosevelt

https://twitter.com/TDickman89/status/99...8425356288

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I think this was a mistake.
10 sack season. He'll get a huge deal next year elsewhere if he had a good season

If he has a huge season next year it either be great for Jacksonville or mean that someone got injured...

As of now, Fowler is a rotational player behind Yannick and Campbell at the 2 DE spots...I think most would agree that they would prefer to keep Yannick over Fowler.

The next decision is where it becomes murky...do you keep an aged but producing Campbell or do you go with the young Fowler?

Worst Case Scenario: he plays out this year and we can't resign him and we get a 3rd round comp pick...as I don't think we are going to be big players in FA for the next 2 years.

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With Campbell he won’t get enough PT to have a huge season.

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Like so much of the question marks around the D-Line, this will play itself out on the field in 2018.

Let him earn that second contract. I like the move, and it's what I posted was the way to approach it weeks ago in the other thread about Fowler.

This year we get to have a beast rotation, and next year we can figure out who gets paid and who has to move on.

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What would be wrong with a starting front four of Yan, Jackson, Campbell and Fowler?

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I wonder how he would play 34 olb. 

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With Campbell he won’t get enough PT to have a huge season.

This is very very possible. That being said he still cashes in no matter what. Huge payday unless he gets injuried.

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We can always tag him in 2019 if we want. $14m option is pretty high but he did make good progress for a young 23 year old. Heck, AJ Cann was already 23 when we drafted both of them back in 2015.

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This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. Dante has yet to show he's deserving of Campbell type wages. He's been the beneficiary of plenty of good plays around him, but I've rarely seen him be the one creating for others.

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I wonder how he would play 34 olb. 

Love the idea of a RB having to pick up a blitzing Fowler!

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I think this has more to do with his off the field then it does his play on the field

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We can always tag him in 2019 if we want.  $14m option is pretty high but he did make good progress for a young 23 year old.  Heck, AJ Cann was already 23 when we drafted both of them back in 2015.

Tag will probably be around $17 million. Wouldn’t you guys have to clear up like $40 million in cap space to tag a de and sign rookies and such?

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What would happen if the Jags let him walk, for whatever reason, take the low 3rd, and he winds up with a team like Pittsburgh, Kansas City or Baltimore and the guy puts up 15+ sacks??

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We can always tag him in 2019 if we want.  $14m option is pretty high but he did make good progress for a young 23 year old.  Heck, AJ Cann was already 23 when we drafted both of them back in 2015.

Keep in mind the tag for a DE next year will probably be around $17.5 mil. I don't see that as a realistic option especially knowing they could have picked up the option for $3.5 mil less.

That said, I don't see how this can be called a mistake. When you're the 3rd overall pick you better be making the Pro Bowl to earn your option year. Dante is not even starting. 

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'02