By: Jake Rajala

I firmly believe the Dallas Cowboys have a terrific floor in 2022, but they can really be Super Bowl contenders if they have x-factors ascend into quality contributors next season. With that said, I’m going to simply outline a few breakout candidates for the Boys in the 2022-2023 season.

Tony Pollard

The 25-year-old Tony Pollard has been climbing the ladder over the past two seasons. He unveiled 719 rushing yards and 5.5 YPC in 15 games in 2021. I expect him to garner a bigger workload next season and transition from an efficient RB into a productive 1,000+ yard ball-carrier.

Zeke Elliot may have some gas left in the tank, but I believe Pollard will outmuscle him as the season is in progress. It would make sense for the Cowboys to test/lean on the legs of Pollard down the stretch, as he is likely the future RB in Dallas.

Dalton Schultz

Dalton Schultz had a fine 2021 season (808 yards, 8 touchdowns), but he is seeking bigger numbers in the Cowboys offense. Amari Cooper is out of the building and the mismatch nightmare Schultz could really be in line for more targets. The former Stanford pass catcher will also lay everything out on the line for a new, hefty contract in 2023 (if he doesn’t sign an extension this summer).

Dante Fowler Jr.

I expect Dante Fowler Jr. to be the biggest surprise player on the Boys defense. He will be desperately striving to prove himself in a contract season and he will have better opportunities to be successful in a Cowboys uniform than in a Falcons uni. Outside of playing on a DL featuring Demarcus Lawrence, the reigning NFC East champions will be forcing opponents to keep pace with Dak in the passing game.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Carolina Panthers have aggressively looked to elevate from their 2021 performance (5 wins in 2021). The Panthers haven’t been able to reel in a superb veteran quarterback like Russell Wilson or Deshaun Watson this offseason, but they still have a healthy Christian McCaffrey, reliable D.J. Moore, blistering fast Robby Anderson, and an ascending defense. The Panthers head coach Matt Rhule is still sitting on a very hot chair and I expect him to add a few more pieces to his complex Panthers squad, so they can have a successful 2022 campaign.

The Panthers will be very open to improving their QB spot this offseason, but there is another position that could use more juice: edge rusher. The Panthers recently lost their star pass rusher Haason Reddick (11 sacks in 2021) in free agency and they could look for a stud to replace him. After all, they could use more DL studs after Tom Brady returned to the NFC South for another season. With that said, here are a few pass rushers that the Panthers could target this offseason.

• Jerry Hughes

The former Bills sack artist Jerry Hughes would be an excellent cheap addition to the Panthers young defensive line. He would be an excellent third-down specialist and he’s also a lot more reliable (and less expensive) than Melvin Ingram. Hughes has only missed one game since 2011.

• Calais Campbell

I believe it will be difficult for the Panthers to ink Jadeveon Clowney, but they could be aggressive for the second-tier pass rusher in Calais Campbell. The 6’8 DT/DE can move around the Panthers DL, eat up double teams, and help his teammates excel in one on one situations. Campbell made the Pro Bowl in 2020, ousted a modest 2021 season, and I believe he can be a quality contributor for at least a couple of more seasons.

• Solomon Thomas

The Panthers may seek out a talented pass rusher that’s hasn’t fully blossomed like Solomon Thomas and hope he can be a diamond in the rough. Thomas had 3.5 sacks last season, but he could thrive in a new scheme that helped Reddick shine. Similar to Reddick in 2020, I expect him to take a “prove it” contract on a new team and he surely has the potential for a productive 2022 season.

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The Atlanta Falcons surely have to improve their wide receiver position this offseason, but there is another key position that needs a jolt: edge rusher. The Falcons recently cut ties with Dante Fowler Jr. and it’s obvious they need a prominent edge rusher to replace Fowler Jr. and chase down quarterbacks with Grady Jarrett. So, which free-agent pass rushers could the Falcons target? Well, here are a few strong options for ATL.

Derek Barnett

The former first-round pick Derek Barnett could be a nice value pick-up for the Falcons. Barnett has quality athletic ability and he’s had flashes in his career leading up to this point. Barnett recorded 6.5 sacks in 2019 and 5.5 sacks in 2020, but he only ousted two sacks in 2021.

If the Falcons decide to draft a pass rusher in round one strike big with a free agent edge rusher like Clowney, I’d love to see the Falcons pick up Barnett. “The Savage” has penalty issues, but he has a lot of upside as a modest run defender and pass rusher.

Jason Pierre-Paul

The two-time Super Bowl champion with the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers unleashed 9.5 sacks in 2021 but unveiled a career-low 2.5 sacks in 12 games with the Bucs last season. The rook Joe Tryon and Pro Bowl edge rusher Shaq Barrett were beneficial to the Bucs success on defense, but they didn’t help JPP dominate the stat sheet.

I believe JPP is a second-tier pass rusher that the Falcons could realistically sign. He has the experience and juice to help another NFC South team opposing QBs that try to match points with the Falcons offense.

Ryan Kerrigan

Ryan Kerrigan isn’t a sexy pass rusher at this stage in his career, but that could fall into the Falcons favor. Kerrigan unveiled 5.5+ sacks in every season up until 2021. The 2011 draft pick has made four Pro Bowls in his career.

He rotated in Barnett and Brandon Graham last season, so he didn’t have his usual amount of opportunities to shine (two games started). He is still a valuable depth piece and the Falcons could be another modest, intriguing fit for his services.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Atlanta Falcons released Dante Fowler Jr. and it’s clear that Fowler Jr. has had a disappointing career after being selected third overall in the 2015 NFL draft. The former Top 3 draft pick had a career season in 2019 as a Los Angeles Ram, as he recorded 11.5 sacks. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to reclaim stardom in 2020 (3 sacks) or 2021 (4.5 sacks).

Fowler Jr. didn’t live up to his three year, $45 million dollar contract, but the Falcons are also striving to open up lots of cap space. They hold a talented quarterback in Matt Ryan who will be the NFL’s highest paid player this offseason. The Falcons could decide to free up cap space, restructure Ryan’s deal, and be contempt with keeping him.

The next chapter of Fowler’s journey won’t be on the Falcons, nonetheless. The 27 year old will be on the search for a new home. Fowler Jr. may be we wise to chase a prove it deal with a talented team. With that said, what are the top landing spots for Fowler Jr.? Well, here are a few teams that would make a ton of sense to ink the former Falcon.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs and AFC West champions need more juice from their pass rush. Melvin Ingram (1 sack in 2021) is not the partner in crime Chris Jones deserves. The soon to be 33-year-old edge rusher is also facing free agency in 2022. The Chiefs will likely not have the money to strike big on Von Miller or Chandler Jones (20th in cap space), but they could have a great value player in the former Top 3 draft pick.

Fowler Jr. would have plenty of opportunities to chase QBs that are forced to match points with Patrick Mahomes. He would also have a lot of opportunities playing next to Chris Jones and it’s safe to say that Fowler played at his best next to the elite Aaron Donald in LA.

Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley was Dante Fowler Jr.’s coach in Jacksonville, so he has strong familiarity and interest in the FA edge rusher. Bradley could really use pass rush help on his team that ranked 26th in sacks last season and 17th in passing YPG allowed. DeForest Buckner (7 sacks in 2021) needs more explosion next to him.

The Colts could look at pass rush help next to Kwity Paye (four sacks in 2021) and Al-Quadin Muhammed (six sacks in 2021) this offseason. The Colts are also seventh in cap space, so they could really afford to take a sharp look at Fowler Jr. and other free agents of interest.

Los Angeles Rams

The LA Rams could call their ex-pass rusher and see if he wants to return to Sean McVay’s lab and chase another Super Bowl trophy. Fowler Jr. could return to the dreamy city and really aim to build off an impressive Rams tenure. The Rams could lose free agent Von Miller (two sacks in Super Bowl LVI/115.5 career sacks) this offseason. It would seem like a smart fit for Fowler Jr. to fill in the shoes of Miller and return to wrecking havoc next to Aaron Donald.

The Rams present a strong destination to Fowler due to the familiarity aspect, fit, and winning attitude that attracts any professional football player.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints are honestly in cap hell, but I love the idea of Fowler Jr. playing in New Orleans. They have Tonah Kpassagnon behind Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport, but I believe the ceiling of Fowler Jr. is too tempting for Mickey Loomis to overlook.

The insanely talented and injury prone Davenport will be a pricey free agent in 2023 and the regular Pro Bowl Jordan will be 33 years old this offseason. They lost Trey Hendrickson to the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021, so the three headed monster broke up. Fowler Jr. wouldn’t only help the Saints create a lethal pass rushing combination, but he could very likely be a long term starter in New Orleans. If Fowler Jr. has a modest season, they could elect to not bring back Davenport in 2023, or cut ties with Jordan in 2023. In reality, the cap-strapped Saints will have to get creative with free agent targets this offseason. Fowler Jr. could be a fantastic addition, as they look to win a Super Bowl with their many stars in their prime together.

Honorable mentions:

Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders were sixth in passing YPG in 2021, but 21st in sacks last season. They need more help with from Mad Max (Maxx Crosby) and Yannick Ngakoue. Crosby and Ngakoue are also free agents in 2023. It would seem unlikely that they can afford both pass rushers will should likely demand monster deals. They could be excited about the possibility of adding a talented and highly motivated Fowler Jr. on a short term deal. It would be a lower risk and cheaper acquisition from Josh McDaniel’s view.

The Raiders play Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert four in four matchups a season for a long time. They could have Fowler Jr. helping their pass rush get more takedowns on the young quarterbacks if he turns around his performance in 2022.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The 2021 Defensive Player of The Year T.J. Watt showed that even he needs more help to slow down Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs. The Steelers got poured on by Mahomes in both matchups this past season. The KC Chiefs beat the Steelers 36-10 in their first regular season matchup and then continued their dominance in the second battle royal, as they won 42-21 in the wildcard weekend.

The Steelers are ranked 10th in cap space (roughly $31 million), so they can get creative with targeting a much needed QB and pass rush help opposite Watt. If they don’t bring back JuJu Smith Schuster, they could especially target a defender in the front seven. Fowler Jr. would have to be mouth watering at the idea of playing across from Watt and Cameron Heyward on the inside. The Steelers won’t be an ideal landing spot for some of top free agents at pass rusher or any position, but they could benefit from talent profiles on prove it deals.

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