By Jordan Long
(update Jadeveon Clowney agrees to 1-year deal with the Browns worth $10 million)
Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is still a free agent. He could sign with the Cleveland Browns since they have shown the most interest in him, but a contract has yet to be finalized. There are two other teams he could land with, the Indianapolis Colts or Tennessee Titans.
The Tennessee Titans make the most sense out of all these teams. He played there last season and knows their defensive system. Clowney saw action in 8 games, the fewest since his rookie year in 2014. He missed half the season dealing with a meniscus injury that required surgery.
The Titans hoped a healthy Clowney would help the pass rush. In 8 games, he didn’t do much with 6 quarterback hits nor did he record a sack for the 1st time since 2014. Clowney was able to help them in stopping the run with 19 tackles. The Titans didn’t see him healthy. If they do bring him back, it could mean Clowney needs to be better but their cap space is an issue. They only have around $5.4 million to spend. Tennessee should worry about the draft. If Clowney is still available then talk to him about a contract which could be $3 million or $4 million this upcoming season.
The Colts make sense. They could use another pass rusher on the defense. The Colts ended up with 40 sacks last year, 12th in the NFL. With the defense putting pressure on the quarterbacks, the Colts secondary could do their job to pick the football off because the quarterback would throw the football sooner than they wanted, ending in 15 interceptions.
The Colts should do whatever it takes to sign Clowney. He could help the Colts hit the quarterback more which may end up in more turnovers. The Colts have more money to spend than the Titans at around $26.419 million, more than enough to sign Clowney for this year and possibly for seasons to come.
The Browns though are the top landing spot for him. They are the ones actively pursuing Clowney the most. The Browns defense could use another playmaker on the defensive line. Cleveland ended up with 38 sacks in 2020, helping them reach the playoffs for the first time since 2002. Cleveland even advanced to the AFC Divisional round.
In their playoff loss to Kansas City, the defense didn’t put enough pressure on quarterback Patrick Mahomes. They hit him 3 times while creating 1 sack, not enough to make a difference in the 22-17 loss. Adding Clowney might help the Browns defense put more pressure and add more sacks for field position in a win or go home game. Cleveland hasn’t been to the AFC Championship Game since 1989 when they lost to the Denver Broncos 37-21.
The Browns have cap space but it isn’t as high as the Colts. They have around $13.332 million in cap space. It could be enough for the Browns to sign Clowney. The Browns are a team that could be Super Bowl contenders next season. Clowney should want to be part of that.
Clowney has been patient in free agency. He is still going to take his time. The Browns though seem like the front runners. It is just a matter of what kind of deal they will strike with him. If not Clowney has plenty of other options.
Leave a Reply