Jadeveon Clowney - Pro Football Rumors

Eagles Unwilling To Approach Jadeveon Clowney’s Asking Price?

May 14th, 2020 at 5:44pm CST by Zachary Links

Pass rushing stands as the Eagles’ biggest remaining need and Jadeveon Clowney stands as the best pass rusher left on the market. It seems like a natural fit for Howie Roseman & Co., but the Eagles’ don’t seem to have much interest in him at this time, according to SiriusXM’s Adam Caplan (via the Inside The Birds podcast).

In fact, the Eagles haven’t even been in touch with Clowney’s representatives, according to Caplan. Instead, the Eagles caught wind of Clowney’s asking price through the grapevine and quickly decided that it was too rich for their blood. When free agency started, Clowney was reportedly seeking $21MM. A few weeks in, he dropped that ask to somewhere around $17MM. Meanwhile, Caplan gets the sense that the Eagles would only explore Clowney if he slashed it down to about $10MM on a one-year deal. Even then, he’s not so sure the Eagles would bite.

Clowney, the top pick in the 2014 draft, has tallied 32 regular season sacks over the course of his career. Last year, he notched his first ever postseason sack and also caused a stir when he took out Carson Wentz with a late hit. For what it’s worth, Wentz recently said that he would be alright with Clowney joining the locker room.

“I don’t think he had any ill will with that hit,” Wentz said (via Reuben Frank of NBC Sports). “That’s part of football. But he’s a heck of a player, so I trust Howie to make the right decisions to make our team the best we can be.”

Unless Clowney drastically lowers his price, it sounds like Roseman will pass on Clowney. No matter what, the Eagles will have to improve their edge group between now and September. Last year, the Eagles’ D ranked just 19th against the pass and Brandon Graham represented the team’s only reliable blitzer. In the draft, the Eagles nabbed some offensive linemen, a pair of linebackers, tons of speedy wide receivers, and even a quarterback in Jalen Hurts, but they did not select an edge rusher until the seventh round.

Titans HC: I Haven’t Talked To Jadeveon Clowney

May 14th, 2020 at 12:04pm CST by Zachary Links

The Titans have been heavily connected to Jadeveon Clowney, but we haven’t heard much on that front in recent days. When head coach Mike Vrabel was asked the edge rusher on Thursday, he indicated that nothing is imminent.

“[I haven’t] talked to JD personally,” Vrabel said in an interview on SiriusXM (transcript via PFT). “I would say Jon and I continue to evaluate the roster and the available free agents. As of now, I would say that nothing is off the table but nothing is certainly on the table either. He’s not on the team.”

If the Titans were on the cusp of a deal with Clowney, he probably would have spoken directly with their head coach by now. Of course, that doesn’t mean that Clowney and his agent haven’t been in touch with GM Jon Robinson or other folks from Tennessee’s front office. In fact, last month, Robinson confirmed that he’s touched base with Clowney’s camp.

The Titans came into the offseason with edge help on their to-do list and they addressed it – at least, partially – by signing former Falcons defensive end Vic Beasley to a one-year deal. In the draft, they focused on other areas and only used one of their six selections on the D-Line. NC State’s Larrell Murchison could turn out to be a fine player, but he plays on the interior, and the fifth-round pick doesn’t offer the same kind of difference-making potential as Clowney.

The Clowney/Titans chatter figures to continue for a while, especially given his history with Vrabel. Vrabel coached him in Houston, guiding him to his best season ever in 2017. In that campaign, Clowney notched a career-high 9.5 sacks en route to his second of three Pro Bowl appearances.

Latest On Jadeveon Clowney

May 13th, 2020 at 7:35pm CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks don’t seem interested in re-signing Jadeveon Clowney and it could be a while before the edge rusher joins any NFL team. Jay Glazer of The Athletic hears that the free agent defensive end wants to wait a while – “perhaps as late as the summer” – before signing.

Clowney isn’t the only notable vet willing to wait for the right deal. Former Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is also said to be sitting tight, though he’s opening up to the idea of serving as someone’s backup in 2020. Clowney’s situation is different, but he might have to ease his own expectations in terms of salary.

When free agency opened, Clowney was said to be asking for $21MM/year. Weeks later, that ask was reduced to around $17-$18MM per annum. Since then, the Seahawks have pretty much tackled their edge needs with players like Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa. The Titans are said to still have interest in the former No. 1 overall pick; ditto for the Ravens and Eagles. The Browns – long believed to be a frontrunner – are also lurking. Clowney would profile as a potential upgrade over Olivier Vernon, whose contract could be easily wiped from the books.

Clowney didn’t play up to par last year in Seattle as he finished with just three sacks in 13 contests. However, he’s still only 27 and he has 32 career sacks to his credit, not to mention a No. 1 pick pedigree. Eventually, Clowney will find a solid one-year platform opportunity, but it might not come before the end of the month.

Seahawks Unlikely To Re-Sign Jadeveon Clowney

May 6th, 2020 at 4:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Jadeveon Clowney wouldn’t mind returning to the Seahawks, but a reunion doesn’t seem too likely. The defensive end would have to take far less money than what the Seahawks were previously offering him in order to facilitate a return, a league source tells ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson.

Publicly, GM John Schneider hasn’t ruled out the former No. 1 overall pick, though he has hinted that its not in the cards. In early March, Clowney was reportedly asking for $21MM per year. In late March, he dropped his ask to $17-$18MM per year. Now, we’re in May, and most of the NFL’s dollars have dried up. The Seahawks, meanwhile, do not have an offer currently on the table for him.

The Seahawks have already made improvements to the front seven by adding Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa. Mayowa’s one-year deal is reportedly worth $3MM while the figures on Irvin’s contract are not yet known. What we do know is that the Seahawks have less than $20MM in cap space at present and they still have other needs to address. They also found edge help in the draft by selecting outside linebacker Darrell Taylor (second round) and defensive end Alton Robinson (fifth round).

The Browns and Titans have been heavily linked to Clowney and the Eagles and Ravens may have some level of interest in him. At this stage of free agency, he stands as the best available edge rusher on the market, even though he finished 2019 with just three regular season sacks.

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.