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.
they can have this overpriced, overhyped guy….
Your a hater
No he’s not a hater, just being realistic!….wonder why this guy wasn’t in the first wave of signings if he is actually the disruptive force he has priced himself to be….or is he just an athlete who played through injury and applied himself in all the games he played in because he realized he needed a new contract!
He’s a good player and he showed it in Houston and the time he played in Seattle too
good, not elite. hes not worth 20 million per
some games….some games he showed that.
You’re *
Thank you!
Your a bunch of f***ing idiots
You’re*…. I’m not sure they’re idiots and I don’t want to call you one either. I just think you’re uneducated in both the grammatical and analytics departments. The players who have gotten $20MM plus a year have shown far more consistency and ability to stay on the field. No one isn’t saying he’s not a force, but you have to pay someone based on their ability compared to others at his position. He’s a really really good player who deserves to get paid, just not at the level he wants.
you’re*
Clowney would be great acquisitions for this browns team who stinks against run and getting to the quarterback
no one thinks Clowney wouldn’t be a great acquisition for any time – its a matter of $, and his asking price exceeds his value right now.
Clowney and Garrett bookends??? scary! this could only make ward and Greedy Williams that much more deadly on the back end
Sure, potentially awesome but let the Browns take the chance on signing this guy long term for big bucks and let’s see how they feel a couple of years from now when he settles back into that long term big buck deal and they scratch their heads as to where all the sacks are….
His sack totals are low but the idea is that with Garrett getting a lot of extra attention, it would likely open up more chances for Clowney
But you don’t pay someone 20 mill a year who’s production comes because the team is worried about someone else.
Who said he’s getting $20 million? If someone would have given him that, he’d be long gone by now.
The Browns should make sure Clowney has skills as a helmet swinger before they hand over about $18M.
Ooh, that’s the best you could come up with? C’mon do better. At least tie a midget comment in too.
Well they can just cut Vernon with no dead cap. Is the Browns interest LT?
So he wants $6 million a sack? Cleveland can have him…
That would be the perfect fit. An overrated Clown joining an overrated Clown organization
Thank you Annoying Larry
He’s better than Vernon and will cost close to the same might as well
That’s exactly it. Big upgrade and not a big pay difference.
Clowney is way too inconsistent to be worth 18m+ a year. Sure he has games where prorated at 18m it makes sense, but those are too far and few in-between. I’m glad Seattle isn’t handing over all that money.
As a Hawks fan, I enjoyed Clowney when he played. But the sack numbers just aren’t there to warrant $18-20 mill/year. He does generate a lot of pressure and is decent in the run game but the Seattle defense actually got more sacks without him on the field, and he didn’t even lead the team in sacks. I’d look to add Griffen & Michael Bennett (then draft an edge rusher or two). But that is just me.
I am shocked at how many Hawk fans want Bennett back. He was awful in the locker room. He was one of the big problems after we lost the SB. His stats have dropped and he has been traded or cut from every team after he left here. Not worth the baggage he carriers. I can’t believe PC and JS will bring him back.
And I can’t forget the Vegas issue. Don’t want his attitude back and it is time to retire
As long as the deal is three years or less then the contract size means nothing to the Browns.After cutting Vernon it would add no more than 3 or 4 million to their payroll and they would still be 40 million under the cap.
In fact they may keep Vernon and sign Clowney since they have been under the cap in so may successive seasons that they’re going to have to spend the money anyway since they’ve been below the 89% floor over that time period,and Vernon is gone after this season anyway.
Love how the “experts” here are assuming the Browns will pay him $18-20 million. I’m sure their “sources” have given them the inside information. The reality is the Browns could afford to do that and, if they wanted to, would have done it already. The more likely situation is that they’re probably offering him the $15 million Vernon is due and he’s balking at that. If they want him they’ll get him and on a contract that will allow them to dump him after a year or two if they want to.
Thank you. Everyone seems to assume that just because he’s asking for $18-20 million, it means he’s getting $20 million. Either that, or they just see a number and don’t read anything else.
If the Browns get him, it’ll be at or around what Vernon would be making so that they could cut him and essentially swap out their salaries. I’d have a hard time imagining that the Browns — or anyone that signs Clowney — would sign him to a deal without some sort of ability to escape the contract after a year or two.
One player at roughly 10% of the teams payroll…? That’s a tough one. He’s good, but not that good.