I do think Fowler may have some upside but I'm not sure it's enough to put him near elite. And like you, I'd prefer not to pay or overpay for average production.
I'd rather pay the money and get the proven vet impact player for $15+/yr.
One thing that I was surprised by was Ebukam. I thought going into pre-season that he would play pretty well... Well he did about as much in pre-season games as he did in the regular season. Fowler was a definite upgrade... So saying that the Rams have someone on the roster or can draft somebody to play the edge worries me.
I also agree that extreme pressure inside from Donald and extreme pressure on the outside from a true impact player is more than the sum of the two.
