3 takeaways from Rams 30-27 Week 1 win over Panthers

2. Fowler has monster day

Instead of handing Dante Folwer a hefty long-term contract in the offseason, the Rams decided to reward the former first-round pick with a one-year deal to provide a little extra motivation.

The NFL has seen plenty of players agree to the one-year deals as a way to prove themselves worthy of a massive pay raise down the road, and since there were some questions surrounding Fowler last season, Los Angeles wanted to make sure they didn’t jump the gun.

On a positive note, the one thing the Rams have to be thrilled about is the comments made by Fowler during the offseason about his desire to stick around for the long run in Los Angeles if given the opportunity, meaning he seemed determined to put in the work.

Against the Panthers, Fowler wasted little time making his presence felt on the defensive side of the football, and would go on to finish the game with two sacks on Cam Newton.

For a player that had two sacks in the eight games spent with the Rams last season, why wouldn’t the team be thrilled over Fowler’s performance in the opener?

If Fowler can keep this trend going, and continue to play at a high level, earning that long-term contract shouldn’t be a problem at all for the linebacker.