Jadeveon Clowney - Pro Football Rumors

Eagles, Ravens Interested In Jadeveon Clowney?

May 6th, 2020 at 8:56am CST by Rory Parks

A number of teams have been connected in some way or another to free agent edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney over the course of the past several months. The Eagles and Ravens are two such teams, but while there was plenty of speculation linking Clowney to those clubs, there were no concrete reports on that front. However, Mark Berman of Fox 26 KRIV may have changed that last night.

Per Berman’s sources, Philadelphia and Baltimore are among the teams expressing interest in Clowney’s services (Twitter link). Of course, the degree of their interest is unclear, and it’s possible that those clubs are simply keeping tabs on Clowney in case he falls into a certain price range or in case something should happen to one of their other pass rushers. Nonetheless, the “addition” of two Super Bowl hopefuls to the market is notable and will certainly be welcomed by Clowney himself.

The Ravens’ edge rushing contingent is headed by the franchise-tagged Matt Judon, but we do not know where the two sides stand in their negotiations of a long-term pact, and Judon has been rumored as a trade candidate. Although Baltimore’s cap space as it presently stands would seem to preclude a Clowney signing without restructuring the contracts of other players, the team could theoretically trade Judon for quality draft capital and allocate his cap charge to Clowney. The Ravens did re-sign Pernell McPhee just yesterday, and while McPhee can certainly be useful as a rotational pass rusher, his presence will hardly stop GM Eric DeCosta from pursuing Clowney if he believes there’s a fit.

Meanwhile, a pass rusher is arguably the Eagles’ biggest remaining need. Philadelphia has enough salary cap room to fit Clowney into the roster this year, but the club has a lot of work to do with respect to its 2021 cap, especially if the cap should decline as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. So any rollover money the Eagles can carry from 2020 into 2021 will be hugely beneficial. On the other hand, if GM Howie Roseman thinks Clowney can help get his team back to the promised land this year, then his 2021 cap situation will not stop him from pulling the trigger.

Berman also notes that the Titans and Browns are very much in the mix for Clowney, though their interest has been well-documented. In addition, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2014 draft has not ruled out a return to the Seahawks.

“I hope we can work something out if anything happens,” Clowney said. “I did like it up there. … I love all the guys I played with. … I love Seattle. … I love everyone on the coaching staff” (Twitter link via Berman).

Consistent with what we heard last week, Clowney said he is willing to wait to sign until interested clubs can bring him in for a physical. “I know what’s going on in the world,” Clowney said. “It’s a slow process until teams can see me and see what I got and can give me physicals. I’m just waiting on the right opportunity” (Twitter link via Berman).

Those comments were the first Clowney has made publicly since the end of the 2019 season, and he has been working out at a gym in Houston four days a week since undergoing core muscle surgery (Twitter link via Berman). He says he is fully recovered from his injury, but to get the payday he wants, he will likely need to wait until teams can make that determination for themselves.

Titans, Seahawks Still Interested In Jadeveon Clowney

May 1st, 2020 at 9:31am CST by Zachary Links

The Titans and Seahawks are still interested in edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney, Dianna Russini of ESPN.com tweets. Clowney’s asking price and sense of urgency haven’t changed either. Despite multiple offers from both clubs, Clowney isn’t close with either team and he isn’t in a rush to put pen to paper.

For now, Clowney’s plan is to wait until the pandemic eases up so that he can take a physical with interested teams, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweets. A passed (and thorough) physical with team doctors would give Clowney the best payday, he believes, though he could also lose out on available spots and dollars by waiting.

Recently, Seahawks GM John Schneider said he’d still consider the former No. 1 overall pick, though that was before the draft. Then, earlier this week, Jarran Reed caused a bit of a stir when he announced his new jersey number for the 2020 season – No. 90 – Clowney’s number with Seattle last year. For his part, Schneider says that he has not approved any sort of number change, so we can’t really read into Reed’s uni.

“I think you’re buying into it, because I don’t remember approving that yet, so I don’t know,” the GM said (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times). “I don’t know where that came from, but yesterday morning it was definitely, something was going on.”

The Titans had roughly $21MM in cap space before the draft, but their frosh will chip away at that figure. Clowney could help bolster their edge rush, though they have already beefed up in that area by signing Vic Beasley.

Clowney, 27, has 32 career sacks to his credit, though he logged just three sacks in 13 games last year.

Jadeveon Clowney Interested In Jets?

April 30th, 2020 at 1:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Linked to several teams during what’s been a much longer free agency process than anticipated, Jadeveon Clowney may still be interested in a New York agreement. Weeks after he was believed to be open to a Giants deal, the free agent edge defender would give the Jets a good chance — if they were interested in signing him, Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com notes.

Regarding the Jets’ potential interest, Pauline writes they are “fishing around” the former No. 1 overall pick, adding that a big-market team like the Jets intrigues Clowney. The Jets re-signed Jordan Jenkins in March and drafted an edge player in the third round (Florida’s Jabari Zuniga), but this still should be considered a need position.

With the deadline for 2020 free agent signings to count toward the 2021 compensatory formula passing earlier this week, Clowney would have a better chance of landing somewhere. But teams are still in a holding pattern of sorts with certain free agents — with the COVID-19 pandemic preventing them from having their medical personnel examine them.

Titans GM Jon Robinson said he would like to have his team’s medical staff clear Clowney before agreeing to terms (Twitter link via TitanInsider.com’s Terry McCormick). Clowney has dealt with persistent knee issues and battled a core muscle injury last season.

Clowney has been linked to the Seahawks, Titans and Browns this month. But no steam has picked up on a deal with any of these teams since the draft. The Jets hold just more than $18MM in cap space. Among potential Clowney suitors, the Browns’ NFL-leading $38MM-plus in cap room would give them the edge. Though, Clowney lowered his asking price weeks ago. He may have to accept a one-year deal and try his luck at free agency again next year.

Seahawks GM: “Door Not Closed” On Jadeveon Clowney

April 21st, 2020 at 7:29pm CST by Rory Parks

Edge defender Jadeveon Clowney continues to languish on the open market, and though it sounded like he and the Seahawks were closing in on a re-up at the end of March, more recent rumors have indicated that other teams may be able to sign him away from Seattle.

In a video conference today, however, Seahawks GM John Schneider told reporters that the door is not closed on a new contract for Clowney (Twitter link via Brady Henderson of ESPN.com). But the team could not wait to address its pass rush, which is why it went out and signed Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa in free agency.

Seattle could also add a pass rusher in this week’s draft, but a rookie defender would not preclude a Clowney signing any more than the Irvin and Mayowa acquisitions. At his best, Clowney is an absolute game-wrecker against both the run and the pass, and even though he has never managed double-digit sacks in a single season, his impact goes beyond his raw statistics.

Most likely, the fact that Clowney remains unsigned has less to do with his sack totals — though those totals do get plenty of attention from his detractors — and more to do with the fact that teams have been unable to gauge where he is health-wise as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. Though he has played in at least 13 games every year since his rookie campaign, he has dealt with knee problems at multiple junctures of his career and underwent core-muscle surgery this offseason after dealing with a midsection issue throughout much of 2019.

The former No. 1 overall pick has come down from his initial ask of a $20MM/year contract, but the Seahawks are reportedly unwilling to offer more than $15MM/year for him, and it does not sound as if Clowney’s camp is prepared to go that low. And, as NFL Insider Adam Caplan notes, the Seahawks do not plan on increasing their bid (Twitter link).

The outcome of the draft could change Schneider’s thinking in that regard, but for now, if Clowney does not reduce his asking price even further, he will not be suiting up for the Seahawks in 2020.

Titans Won’t Rule Out Jadeveon Clowney

April 17th, 2020 at 11:56am CST by Zachary Links

Will the Titans be the team to land Jadeveon Clowney? Titans GM Jon Robinson won’t rule it out.

“We’ll see,” Robinson said (via Jim Wyatt of the team website). “Like I said a couple of weeks ago, we’ve had some discussions there and we’ve had some dialogue back and forth. You never close the door on anything.”

So, there’s a chance that the Titans will make a serious run at the former No. 1 overall pick, even though they’re not the favorites to sign him. In a recent PFR poll, less than 8% of you predicted that Clowney would be heading to Nashville. By all accounts, the incumbent Seahawks and Browns (not necessarily in that order) are the most likely destinations for Clowney.

At one point, the Seahawks were offering Clowney a deal worth $13-$15MM per year. That could be enough, or close to enough, to get something done. Clowney has backed down from his initial ask of ~$20MM per season and, realistically, he’ll have to scale back his expectations as time goes on.

The Titans currently have about $21MM in cap room, but their incoming draft class will chip away at that number. They could still eek out enough space for Clowney, but they might prefer to spend in another area after picking up Vic Beasley. Beasley, the No. 8 pick in the 2015 draft, tallied eight sacks last year. Clowney, meanwhile, had only three sacks.

Giants Rumors: Clowney, Golden, Draft, Tomlinson

April 13th, 2020 at 7:17pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s the latest on the G-Men:

Lately, we’ve heard that the Giants aren’t looking to spend big on edge rushers. On Monday, GM Dave Gettleman more or less confirmed that he won’t pursue high-priced options like Jadeveon Clowney and Markus Golden are not in the plans. The Giants are “not in that position now,” Gettleman said (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan). In a recent poll, just ~6% of PFR readers picked the Giants as Clowney’s next destination.
The GM also noted the presence of younger players in-house – guys like Evan Engram, Jabrill Peppers, Saquon Barkley, and Dalvin Tomlinson – who will need new deals soon. There’s only so much cap room to go around and the Giants will need to save those dollars to keep their best. “You can’t manufacture (pass rush), and you can’t overpay for it,” Gettleman said (via Zack Rosenblatt of NJ.com). “So, what it really comes down to is it’s not about who gets the sacks, it’s about how many sacks we get. Really, how much pressure you apply. Some of this is going to have to come through scheme. Obviously we haven’t gone to the draft yet. I feel with where we’re at, would I want two guys to have a 25-sack year? Who doesn’t? But we’re not in that position right now so we’ll just keep building it.”
Gettleman also told reporters that he likes the depth of this year’s tackle class (Twitter link via Raanan). Raanan took those comments to mean that the Giants are targeting tackles early in the draft, and Paul Schwartz of the New York Post got the same impression. For now, the Giants hold the No. 4 pick in the draft, though they’ve entertained the possibility of trading back.

Poll: Where Will Jadeveon Clowney Sign?

April 6th, 2020 at 11:39am CST by Zachary Links

It’s April and defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is still without an NFL team. The former No. 1 overall pick isn’t coming off of a banner year, but he plays a premium position and has 32 career sacks to his credit. So, what gives?

Of course, his price tag is his biggest blocker. Clowney came into the offseason seeking a deal worth $20MM per year. Recently, he backed down from that position, though the incumbent Seahawks are believed to be offering between $13-$15MM per annum, which is still probably less than he’s willing to accept.

A reunion still seems possible, but Clowney’s camp is working to find a better deal in the interim. Late last week, the Browns entered the sweepstakes and some league officials believe that they have the strongest interest of any suitor. The Browns have tons of cap room – about $43MM – and they might be willing to use some of it to swap Olivier Vernon for Clowney. Of course, that might be easier said than done, since the Browns would still have to find a team willing to take on the rest of Vernon’s contract, which is set to pay him $15.25MM.

The Jets could use Clowney’s edge rushing ability, but they’ve been taking a conservative approach to free agency after whiffing on their preferred targets in March. The Titans have also been linked to him, thanks to Clowney’s relationship with head coach Mike Vrabel from their Houston days, but they’re less inclined to spend on the pass rush after committing $9MM to outside linebacker Vic Beasley.

Other teams have been connected to Clowney, like the Giants, Colts, and Dolphins, though their pass rush needs have already been addressed. The Eagles remain an interesting landing spot for him from a football perspective, and they have breathing room to work with for right now, but their 2021 situation could complicate things. In theory, Philly could still land Clowney if he is willing to accept a one-year deal. The Ravens – with less than $11MM in cap space for the current year – seem less likely to sign him. For the sake of casting a wide net, we’ll include all of those teams in our poll.

Where do you think Clowney will sign? Cast your vote in the poll below (link for app users) and back up your pick in the comments.

Browns Interested In Jadeveon Clowney

April 4th, 2020 at 2:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns have entered the enduring Jadeveon Clowney sweepstakes. Not only is Cleveland now involved in the Clowney pursuit, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports some around the league believe the Browns have come closer to a Clowney deal than other suitors thus far (Twitter link).

The Seahawks have been the team most closely connected to Clowney this offseason. While Seattle has tried to make a viable offer to keep the three-time Pro Bowler, Fowler adds that the team’s offer has not satisfied the Clowney camp to this point.

A Clowney-Browns scenario would be interesting given the team’s defensive end depth. The Browns already employ Myles Garrett and Olivier Vernon. A Clowney deal would point to Vernon being on the outs.

In late February, Vernon was linked to being a candidate for a pay cut or release. In the final year of his Giants-constructed contract, the veteran defensive end is set to earn $15.25MM. The Browns are not expected to pay him this much, but the former Dolphins and Giants pass rusher remains on the roster. The Browns have shopped Vernon, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal adds, but any deal would likely be contingent on Cleveland picking up some of his salary.

This week, both the Jets and Titans re-emerged as Clowney suitors. The former No. 1 overall pick also dropped his price off the $20MM-per-year mark. However, the Seahawks’ proposal likely lands between $13-$15MM per year.

Cleveland’s $43MM-plus in cap space leads the NFL by a wide margin. Seattle currently holds less than $15MM in cap room.

Latest On Jadeveon Clowney

April 3rd, 2020 at 6:29pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Jadeveon Clowney is surprisingly still on the market this late in the process, and he’s one of the most interesting situations left to monitor. A couple of days ago we heard that Clowney had lowered his asking price from around $20MM a year to $17-18MM annually after not receiving the offers he was hoping for.

Now we’ve got a new batch of notes on his status, courtesy of John Clayton of ESPN 710 Seattle. Clayton writes that the Seahawks are taking a wait and see approach with Clowney and are being patient. He thinks Seattle might be willing to only pay between $13-15MM for him, which would be a steep discount. New York has been talked about as an interested team, but Clayton writes to “scratch the thoughts on the Jets.”

Clayton writes the Jets’ discussions consisted of only one phone call to his agent and that they haven’t made him an offer, so it sounds like their interest has possibly been a bit overstated. Clayton acknowledges that the Titans are interested, but thinks it might be hard for Tennessee to fit him into their cap after they already gave fellow outside linebacker Vic Beasley a $9MM contract.

Of course Titans head coach Mike Vrabel coached Clowney during their time in Houston, so maybe he’ll be extra motivated to make it work. Clayton opines that had Clowney lowered his demands in the first couple of days of free agency, he would’ve had a deal. The Seahawks by all accounts want to bring him back, and it sounds like they might end up getting a great deal if Clowney’s leverage continues to decrease. We’ve also heard the next best free agent rusher Everson Griffen is interested in joining the Seahawks, so that could be their backup plan if Clowney heads elsewhere.

Jadeveon Clowney Lowers Asking Price

April 1st, 2020 at 5:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

As Week 3 of free agency begins, Jadeveon Clowney remains available. And in an acknowledgement his market has not shaped up the way he anticipated, the former No. 1 overall pick is lowering his asking price.

Clowney no longer seeks $20MM per year; he would accept a deal closer to $17-$18MM AAV, Diana Russini of ESPN.com tweets.

The three-time Pro Bowler has dealt with knee problems at multiple junctures of his career, including microfracture surgery in 2014, and underwent core-muscle surgery after dealing with a midsection issue for much of his Seahawks season. Teams being unable to host Clowney on visits or have their medical staffs examine him in this unusual offseason may well be playing into this delay.

The 27-year-old edge defender has been most closely connected to the Seahawks, and Russini adds they remain interested. But 11 days after a report indicated the sides were close on a deal, he remains in free agency. The Jets have engaged in discussions with Clowney, per GM Joe Douglas. The Titans did as well, and Russini notes they are still interested in adding Clowney. Tennessee previously added ex-Atlanta defensive end Vic Beasley, and he would be in line to start opposite Harold Landry. Seattle features a bigger need on the edge and is still waiting on Clowney, to the point it may be interfering in a potential deal with Everson Griffen.

While the Colts, Cowboys and Giants have been connected to Clowney as well, nothing has emerged on those fronts in many days. Despite a need for a defensive end opposite DeMarcus Lawrence, the Cowboys are not expected to pursue Clowney. This makes sense given Lawrence’s $20MM-per-year salary. The Giants have not made much headway regarding their need at edge rusher, signing Kyler Fackrell. Clowney was believed to be interested in joining the Giants, but the team is not chasing a high-priced pass rusher.