It took one game for Dante Fowler Jr. to expose why the Commanders gave up

Dante Fowler Jr. was a shining light among the Washington Commanders' edge rushers last season en route to 10.5 sacks. However, that was not enough for general manager Adam Peters to give him another deal.

And his first game for the Dallas Cowboys showed exactly why.

Fowler felt he deserved more money than the Commanders were willing to pay. The Cowboys were only too willing to oblige, handing the former Florida standout a one-year, $6 million deal with a $3 million signing bonus and $5 million guaranteed. This returned him to Dallas after one season in Washington, and a bigger role than anticipated was all but confirmed once owner/general manager Jerry Jones inexplicably traded All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers.

Dante Fowler Jr. quickly proved why the Commanders were right to move on

The Commanders had one major concern. It's why Fowler's reps diminished at the business end of the campaign and into the playoffs. It's also why Peters was more than willing to move on this offseason.

Although Fowler's 10.5 sacks and 44 pressures were encouraging, his ability against the run leaves a lot to be desired. His 50.0 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus ranked 169th out of 210 qualifying edge defenders. The No.3 overall selection became a liability, and the Commanders couldn't trust him to provide the production needed.

Unsurprisingly, this glaring flaw was evident during the NFL's season opener between the Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night. Fowler's inability to set a clean edge came to the fore early. He struggled to create leverage and looked sluggish in pursuit of the ball carrier. There was one quarterback hit during the game, but no tackles.

This was a depressingly familiar feeling for Fowler. It's a problem he's had throughout his career and shows no signs of improving. Jones' initial delusional projection that Dallas' run defense would set the tone without Parsons didn't bear fruit. The Eagles got what they wanted, gaining 158 rushing yards and three scores on the ground.

Fortunately for the Commanders, Fowler's inconsistencies are no longer their problem. There are concerns about the team's current options on the edge, but they should be better against the run. That's only going to help dethrone the Eagles, who looked like a shell of the team that hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy to start their title defense.

In fairness to Fowler, the Eagles' offensive line is dominant against almost everybody. But the player's overall body of work suggests this lingering issue has the scope to hold Dallas back without Parsons.

And no Commanders fan will be complaining about that.