Dante Fowler Jr. wanting to be part of long-term plans with Rams great sign for defense

The Los Angeles Rams should be thrilled to hear Dante Fowler Jr. discuss how he would love to be around for the long run with the team.

Last season, the Los Angeles Rams were willing to bring any player on board who seemed capable of helping the team earn a trip to the Super Bowl, one of which happened to be Dante Fowler Jr.

Despite how disappointing his time spent with the Jacksonville Jaguars turned out to be, the Rams felt confident enough in acquiring Folwer before the trade deadline last season since this seemed like they had nothing to lose.

By only having to give up a future third and fifth-round pick along with the fact that Fowler was a former first-round pick for a reason, Los Angeles had every reason in the world to feel confident in a fresh start on a new team helping the linebacker get on the right track.

Turns out, this was exactly the case for the Rams when seeing how great of a fit Fowler ended up being, and this was one of the main reasons behind the team’s decision this offseason to bring him back on a one-year deal.

Then again, if Fowler was such a great fit, why didn’t Los Angeles just offer him a long-term deal to make sure the defense continues to remain in tip-top shape?

Well, too many times in the NFL, teams jump the gun on handing out hefty contracts to players after only one great season, and end up regretting the decision down the road.

By signing Fowler to a one-year, $12 million deal this offseason, the Rams would love nothing more than to see their linebacker use this as motivation to earn a better contract down the road.

And after hearing Fowler’s recent comments acknowledging how this season will be a “show-me” situation in which he will do whatever it takes to make sure he ends up sticking around for the long run, Los Angeles should be thrilled over this kind of mindset.

After starting six of eight games during the regular season once he joined the Rams last season while finishing with two sacks, and 21 combined tackles, just imagine what Fowler’s first full year with the team has in store.

If all goes well, Fowler seems like he’ll have a new long-term contract from Los Angeles in no time to help the defense remain in great shape for years to come.