Dante Fowler Jr. Trade Rumors: Jets Contact Jaguars About Former 1st-Round Pick

The New York Jets have inquired about Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Dante Fowler Jr., according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.

Fowler, along with cornerback Jalen Ramsey, was recently suspended one week for "violating team rules and conduct unbecoming of a Jaguars football player."

The third overall pick in 2015, Fowler has had an up-and-down career. He tore his ACL on the first day of rookie minicamp and was sidelined for his entire first season in the league. The Florida product has since recorded 53 combined tackles, 12 sacks and two forced fumbles in the last two seasons.

Despite recording a career-high eight sacks last year, Jacksonville opted not to exercise the fifth-year option on Fowler's rookie contract. Fowler would have been in line for $14.2 million in 2019 under that option.

He is suspended for Week 1 for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy after a 2017 arrest.

New York ranked 28th in the NFL last year with 28 sacks. Jets coach Todd Bowles recently talked about the team's need to generate pressure, via Mehta:

"Well, we don't have the name guy. We don't have the Lawrence Taylor, so to speak, but we have guys that work hard and are very tough at the point of attack. You don't need a name guy. You just need a guy with production. And the production will make the name. Disrupting the quarterback is the big thing as well as setting the edge. We have certain guys that can do a lot of things right now. We’re mixing and matching to get a feel for what guys can and can't do right now..."

Fowler is just 24 years old and showed growth in his second year on the field. As a result, the 6'3", 255-pounder is an attractive option for a team in need of a pass-rusher, like the Jets.

After the team declined his fifth-year option, Fowler is set to play out the final year of his rookie deal. The two sides could reach a long-term deal or have the franchise tag come into play next year, but with his future in Jacksonville in question, New York decided it was worth a call to see if the defensive end is available.