Browns To Sign Jadeveon Clowney

The Browns have agreed to sign Jadeveon Clowney (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The defensive end will receive a one-year contract worth up to $10MM. The Browns have since confirmed the deal.

Clowney will start opposite of Myles Garrett, giving the Browns two former No. 1 overall picks at defensive end. f course, Clowney hasn’t put up the same kind of gaudy sack totals. He’s coming off of an eight-game, zero sack season that was shorted by knee trouble. He did, however, notch 19 tackles, four tackles for a loss, six quarterback hits, four passes defensed, and one forced fumble for the Titans. Also, the advanced metrics were still fond of his work. At the time of his season-ending injury, Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 16th-best edge player in the league. PFF also gave him above-average marks in both run defense and pass coverage.

We’re excited to add Jadeveon to our defensive line,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. “He’s a disruptive force that will help us against the run and the pass. We’ve been able to make some nice additions to our defense throughout free agency and we are looking forward to getting to work, so we can improve our team.”

Naturally, teams were concerned about Clowney’s injury history, but he has already passed his physical with the Browns. That’s a good sign for the summer to come, as Clowney will have ample time to gear up for September. He’ll join a handful of new faces on the Browns’ defense, including cornerback Troy Hill, linebacker Anthony Walker, and ex-Falcons first-rounder Takkarist McKinley, who should factor into the DE rotation.

Jadeveon’s had a very productive career since 2014. We love his relentless style of play,” Browns GM Andrew Berry said. “He’s one of the more disruptive players in the game and we think he’s going to add an element of ruggedness along our defensive line and will pair nicely with many of the guys we have on the roster already. The other thing we love about Jadeveon is his versatility, his ability to play all across the front and impact the game regardless of his alignment.”

The three-time Pro Bowler averaged 8.2 sacks and two forced fumbles per season between 2016 and 2018. Unfortunately, he’s turned in only one full 16-game slate as a pro. He’ll have another opportunity to reassert himself in Cleveland, especially with opposing blockers putting the bulk of the attention on Garrett.

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