“I can adjust to anything” - Cowboys DE speaks up on changes under new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus

Dante Fowler Jr. said he was confident in being able to fit into the Cowboys' new defense under newly signed coordinator Matt Eberflus.

Fowler, a returnee to the Cowboys this offseason after joining the Washington Commanders for the 2024 season, returns to Dallas with pass-rushing talent. The former first-round selection had played for the Cowboys from 2022-2023 before his stint with the NFC East's Dallas Cowboys rivals.

The defensive end's statement was on Thursday, as tweeted by Cowboys beat writer Jon Machota on social media platform X:

"I know this is going to be a fast, physical defense. I'm looking forward to it. I'm a hybrid so I can adjust to anything. ... Whatever the scheme is, I'm going to adapt to it, I'm going to adjust to it and I'll be ready to go," said Fowler.

Fowler enters his finest statistical season since 2019, posting 10.5 sacks, 39 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and his first interception in his Washington career last season. His spike in production came after two seasons in Dallas in which he posted 10 total sacks and three forced fumbles in 34 games as a rotational defender.

Dante Fowler to fit into Matt Eberflus's new system

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Fowler wants to shut up his critics with his play on the field in Dallas:

"Keep showing guys that I'm one of those guys, I feel like I'm better than some of the guys out here," Fowler told dallascowboys.com on March 17. "Just keep coming out there with a chip on my shoulder, keep proving I love football so I play this game for the love of my game, every time I go out there, every time I get an opportunity to play football, I'm going to leave it all out there."

Matt Eberflus, who comes back to Dallas after coaching the Chicago Bears for three seasons, has a defensive philosophy built around takeaways and aggression. Only once in the last seven seasons has a Matt Eberflus defense ranked outside the top 10 in takeaways, ESPN reports. His 2023 Bears tied the NFL lead with 22 interceptions.

The coordinator's style fits with Fowler's. Matt Eberflus explained his defensive signature succinctly when talking to the media in February:

"Yeah, pretty simple: We take the ball away. That's what we do. We stop the run. And we want to make exciting plays for our football team. That's really what we do."

Fowler was also eager to reunite with former Cowboys teammates:

"I love this defensive line, the sky is the limit," he said. "Shoutout to Osa [Odighizuwa], just being with him and seeing how hard he worked to where he's at now, I'm definitely excited to be with him again. I love playing with Micah [Parsons], I love him, he's one of my favorite players in the league…"

The Cowboys' defense hopes to rebound after finishing 31st in points surrendered and 28th in yards surrendered last year under former coordinator Mike Zimmer.