Well he played all over at Florida and wasn't just limited to showing off his skills coming off of a wide edge. Regardless, it's easy to tell he has learned a thing, or two in his one year being around NFL coaches and NFL caliber players.


Also, you either have that ability to bend, or you don't. People don't just learn the ability to bend like that. You're born with it.

this ^

---

We talkin bout practisss

---

Um. I'm a gators fan and Fowler always looked more talented than those two.

His sole purpose during his last year at UF was rushing the passer and he had what 7 sacks and 3 of those came in one game. That was his most dominant game,against ECU. To the guy asking if I watch there practices,no but I follow them like I do the jags in training camp via Florida 247. I'm just saying the say thing Thomas Goldkamp did for them and he's there lead writer. Never said Dante wasn't good hahahahaha he was always really good but dominant? No, he took over the ECU and Tennesse games but was never consistently dominant.

---

He spent most of his career at UF around 280. He was 260-265 his last season. That is why he looks so much faster than at UF. He is 250 now.

---

His sole purpose during his last year at UF was rushing the passer and he had what 7 sacks and 3 of those came in one game. That was his most dominant game,against ECU. To the guy asking if I watch there practices,no but I follow them like I do the jags in training camp via Florida 247. I'm just saying the say thing Thomas Goldkamp did for them and he's there lead writer. Never said Dante wasn't good hahahahaha he was always really good but dominant? No, he took over the ECU and Tennesse games but was never consistently dominant.

Never JJ Watt dominate but the guy was the a beast at Florida and the best player on that dominate Gators defense. Where does dominate even come from? He hasnt even played in a preseason game yet lol

---

Duck it like Dante!

---

I hope they do some things to show off Dante's coverage abilities. He's a complete player, they should show that off.

---

"A man with no sauce is lost.

<p style="text-align:center;">But that same man can get lost in the sauce."

Fowler was very versatile at UF and had a lot of QB hurries. He did "dominate" guys, just not for a bunch of sacks, but he consistently put pressure on QBs. My problem with him was that the way he did it was not how I saw guys in the NFL generally do it. He did not have the conventional sexy bend and quick spin moves, he just had inside moves, speed, and pretty good hand usage and was very violent. Not only that but he didn't consistently play with power. Dropping 10 pounds seems like it's not only given him a speed boost (I bet if he ran a 40 now it would be in the 4.5's with a low-1.5 10 yard) but has also helped his bend, and seems like he's gained strength as well. He still doesn't strike me as a Von Miller/Ware type that bends the edge and just looks really graceful...but maybe he can just be a different type of player and still be dominant. 

---

"A man with no sauce is lost.

<p style="text-align:center;">But that same man can get lost in the sauce."

some people who were against the pick are trying very hard to justify their beliefs of 1.5 years ago.

 

they were against the pick and they thought Dante couldn't do what he is showing he can do.

 

this is a good lesson that NFL teams who work out players know more than you.

 

Dante was a project - a very talented project though.  Worst case scenario Dante will be a solid, good-to-very good defensive end with a great motor.  The scouts saw more in him though - they saw "bend" and elite athleticism - especially if he lost some unnecessary weight and just focused on one position.  That's what he's been doing for the past year and we can definitely tell.

---

<FONT face="Comic Sans MS" size=3><B><FONT face=Verdana color=#ff6600 size=4></FONT></B></FONT>

Fowler was very versatile at UF and had a lot of QB hurries. He did "dominate" guys, just not for a bunch of sacks, but he consistently put pressure on QBs. My problem with him was that the way he did it was not how I saw guys in the NFL generally do it. He did not have the conventional sexy bend and quick spin moves, he just had inside moves, speed, and pretty good hand usage and was very violent. Not only that but he didn't consistently play with power. Dropping 10 pounds seems like it's not only given him a speed boost (I bet if he ran a 40 now it would be in the 4.5's with a low-1.5 10 yard) but has also helped his bend, and seems like he's gained strength as well. He still doesn't strike me as a Von Miller/Ware type that bends the edge and just looks really graceful...but maybe he can just be a different type of player and still be dominant. 

I don't see him as either Von Miller or Mack, but more of a mix between the two. Not as strong as Mack and not as fluid as Miller, but he definitely has a mix of both. A bit of strength and nasty like Mack and some sweet fluid hips like Miller.

 

We got to remember that Fowler literally just turned 22 years old a couple days ago. His body still hasn't hit its physical maturity. He also had a better 10 yard split than both of them. 1.59 for Fowler, 1.62 for Miller and 1.64 for Mack. All while Fowler being 10 pounds heavier than Mack and 15 pounds heavier than Miller at that time.

 

Fowler dropping about 10 pounds in bad weight, you'd have to assume he'd run even a little faster now and it's not like he was slow to begin with. The sky is the limit for this kid and it's been a long time since we've had anybody even close to his rare ability and talent as a pass rusher.

---

He spent most of his career at UF around 280. He was 260-265 his last season. That is why he looks so much faster than at UF. He is 250 now.

Sorry but there is no way he was playing at 280 at UF. You are just dead wrong about that.

---

Well he played all over at Florida and wasn't just limited to showing off his skills coming off of a wide edge. Regardless, it's easy to tell he has learned a thing, or two in his one year being around NFL coaches and NFL caliber players.

 

Also, you either have that ability to bend, or you don't. People don't just learn the ability to bend like that. You're born with it.

 

On tape he wasn't showing that bend at UF. So I guess that is just a testament to UF's sloppy coaching. Then again, Muschamp was fired.

 

It's fascinating because half the Gator fans here are like "Yeah he was special" then the other half are like "Meh". So I'm guessing the truth is somewhere in between. He's a special athlete who had sub-par coaching in college who just never played one true spot, so consistency was always going to be an issue.

---

Sorry but there is no way he was playing at 280 at UF. You are just dead wrong about that.

He said it himself over and over again in interviews. He was 280 his first 2 years. The roster list has him at 280 as well. Well, 277 to be exact. So, it is you that is dead wrong unless he was lying for some reason. Muschamp also stated why he wanted him at that weight.

---

On tape he wasn't showing that bend at UF. So I guess that is just a testament to UF's sloppy coaching. Then again, Muschamp was fired.

He did show it a little bit here and there at UF, but nothing like we've seen so far in practices. Again it's just practice, but he's showing that he has that very rare ability.

 

My point was, that it simply cannot be taught. No kind of coaching is going to teach somebody to naturally bend and dip their bodies like that. While still staying fluid and on balance. It's flat out something you're born with. You either have it, or you don't.

---

He did show it a little bit here and there at UF, but nothing like we've seen so far in practices. Again it's just practice, but he's showing that he has that very rare ability.

 

My point was, that it simply cannot be taught. No kind of coaching is going to teach somebody to naturally bend and dip their bodies like that. While still staying fluid and on balance. It's flat out something you're born with. You either have it, or you don't.

 

I agree with that. I'm just saying it wasn't consistent on film. Maybe because he is leaner now and has been coached up better? Maybe because he's focusing on one true position? Could be a number of things. Just glad he's on our side.

---

His sole purpose during his last year at UF was rushing the passer and he had what 7 sacks and 3 of those came in one game. That was his most dominant game,against ECU. To the guy asking if I watch there practices,no but I follow them like I do the jags in training camp via Florida 247. I'm just saying the say thing Thomas Goldkamp did for them and he's there lead writer. Never said Dante wasn't good hahahahaha he was always really good but dominant? No, he took over the ECU and Tennesse games but was never consistently dominant.

The stats don't account for everything else, qb pressures, tackles for loss, double teams, etc...

---

Coughlin when asked if winning will be a focus: "What the hell else is there? This is nice and dandy, but winning is what all this is about."

On tape he wasn't showing that bend at UF. So I guess that is just a testament to UF's sloppy coaching. Then again, Muschamp was fired.


It's fascinating because half the Gator fans here are like "Yeah he was special" then the other half are like "Meh". So I'm guessing the truth is somewhere in between. He's a special athlete who had sub-par coaching in college who just never played one true spot, so consistency was always going to be an issue.

Sloppy? They had a top 5 defense and Fowler went 3rd overall?

---

I hope they do some things to show off Dante's coverage abilities. He's a complete player, they should show that off.

I agree with this, the coaches can get creative with multiple looks to confuse the opposing qbs

---

I guess we can never be happy on here. Fowler does great in the scrimmage but some have to shoot him back down with college talk.

---

I have been as impressed by Dante this spring as anyone, but lets be honest...the two main outside rushes y'all have been raving about have not been bends or even dips, they're some weird ducking thing. In fact, after his duck thing that worked well in the scrimmage he did have to bend to get to Bortles and he came out from under his feet and fell down. If he could bend anything close to the guys you've been comparing him to in this thread he would have had an easy sack. 

 

He's showing exactly what he showed at UF, save for those two weird ducks. He has good hands and power for the bull rush, he has good inside counter moves with the swim and with the spin, and he has an excellent motor. He still hasn't shown an ability to get to the QB on an actual outside rush except for those ducks. Are we assuming that that an unprecedented move like that is going to keep working? If so then he could be a terrifying pass rusher that is racking up double digit sacks a year. If not then he is going to be what I have said, which is a good all around player who gets plenty of disruption and pressures while being stout against the run, but ultimately stuck in the ~8 sack range annually.

---