Jadeveon Clowney - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On Texans’ Jadeveon Clowney

August 28th, 2019 at 8:56am CST by Zachary Links

Texans pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney wants out, and now we know why. The star defender planned to report this week, until he found out the team wanted to trade him, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears.

Originally, Clowney was slated to report after Week 3 of the preseason. Now, no one knows when – or if – Clowney will show up.

Trade rumors have swirled around Clowney for some time now, but, this summer, it sounds like he was operating under the assumption that he would stay put. The Texans’ recent front office shakeup undoubtedly played a role in Clowney’s situation – former GM Brian Gaine was in favor of giving Clowney a new deal, but head coach Bill O’Brien was reportedly against it. Clowney has been extension-eligible since January 2017 but, so far, the Texans have been unwilling to commit.

Clowney recently met with Dolphins head coach Brian Flores and the Fins view themselves as the favorites to land the former No. 1 overall pick. Meanwhile, Clowney is reportedly eyeing the Seahawks and Eagles.

Dolphins Notes: Clowney, Grant, Alonso

August 27th, 2019 at 7:15pm CST by Rory Parks

The Dolphins believe they are the favorites to land Texans star Jadeveon Clowney, but Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com believes that Miami would have to increase Clowney’s tag number (currently just under $16MM) to something in the $20MM+ range to land the former No. 1 overall pick (Twitter link). Fitzgerald suggests that the Dolphins may not be interested in giving Clowney the long-term deal he wants and could be looking to trade a second-round pick for Clowney this year and flipping him for a first-rounder next year.

Let’s take a quick swing around South Beach:

Wide receiver Jakeem Grant‘s extension was reported as a four-year, $24MM pact, but NFL Insider Adam Caplan says the base value is actually $19.7MM (Twitter link). The total value could increase to $24MM with Pro Bowl incentives. The contract includes $7.5MM in guaranteed money, only $3.72MM of which is fully guaranteed.
The Dolphins are said to be shopping linebacker Kiko Alonso, though rival teams expect him to be cut. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that head coach Brian Flores was non-committal when asked about the status of Alonso and tight end Dwayne Allen, both of whom have battled injuries this summer. Alonso returned to practice on a limited basis Sunday, and while Jackson says Miami could very well keep him around in 2019, it would not be surprising if both Alonso and Allen were released.
More from Jackson, who suggests that edge rusher Nate Orchard is on the roster bubble. Though Flores didn’t elaborate, he said “this will be a big week” for Orchard. It sounds as if one of last year’s “Hard Knocks” stars could find his way onto the 53-man roster with a strong performance in Miami’s last preseason game.
The Dolphins’ QB competition between Josh Rosen and Ryan Fitzpatrick remains open.

Dolphins Consider Themselves Favorites For Jadeveon Clowney

August 27th, 2019 at 6:49pm CST by Rory Parks

The Dolphins believe they are the leaders to land Texans star Jadeveon Clowney, as Armando Salguero and Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald write. We learned earlier today that Clowney has met in person with Dolphins head coach Brian Flores and other members of Miami’s brass, and the team thinks that meeting helped sway Clowney towards South Beach.

As Clowney has not yet signed his franchise tender, he does have some say as to where he gets traded. Sources suggest that Clowney was not initially in love with the idea of coming to the Dolphins, and indeed, today’s report suggested that Clowney prefers the Seahawks or Eagles.

However, the Dolphins believe Clowney is now on board if they can swing a deal with the Texans. Salguero and Beasley say that a potential trade between the two teams would not include a first-round pick heading to Houston, though Miami is also refusing to give up offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil.

In addition to offensive line help, the Texans are in need of a running back, and the Dolphins could package Kenyan Drake or Kalen Ballage along with some draft capital to make a trade work.

Dolphins Won’t Give Up Laremy Tunsil In Jadeveon Clowney Trade

August 27th, 2019 at 3:13pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins are interested in Jadeveon Clowney, but they’ll only go so far to get him. The Dolphins are unwilling to part with offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil in any potential trade with the Texans, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter) hears.

That could be a potential roadblock for the Dolphins in their pursuit of Clowney, since the Texans are in need of offensive tackle help. But, as Wilson notes, the Texans could also use assistance at running back after losing Lamar Miller to a season-ending injury. If the Dolphins are willing to discuss tailbacks like Kalen Ballage, that could give them ammo in a Clowney deal.

Clowney, still only 26, has 29 career sacks despite playing in just 60 of 80 possible career games. Most of those missed games came in his rookie season and he has missed just three games in the last three years.

Texans’ Jadeveon Clowney Wants Trade To Seahawks Or Eagles

August 27th, 2019 at 3:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Jadeveon Clowney wants the Texans to trade him, and he has a couple of destinations in mind. The standout edge rusher views the Seahawks and Eagles as his preferred destinations, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link) hears.

Meanwhile, Clowney has also met in person with Dolphins head coach Brian Flores and other members of Miami’s brass, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Wilson hears the same thing, though he notes that the Dolphins are not his first-choice destination. On the flipside, the Dolphins would be open to working out a lucrative extension with Clowney, once he’s eligible.

As an unsigned franchise player, Clowney does have some leverage in this matter. The Texans have been unwilling to commit to him for the last few offseasons and he might have enough juice to force a trade to the Seahawks, Eagles, or another contender.

The Texans, ideally, would like to keep Clowney, though they’ve previously set an asking price. In the spring, it was believed that Clowney could be had for a second-round pick (Twitter link via Albert Breer of The MMQB).

After firing his agent on Tuesday afternoon, it appears that Clowney is serious about landing the long-term deal he desires.

Texans’ Jadeveon Clowney Fires Agent

August 27th, 2019 at 2:06pm CST by Zachary Links

Texans star Jadeveon Clowney fired longtime agent Bus Cook, sources tell Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Clowney was unhappy with the way talks were going with the team and, presumably, will seek new representation to take over.

The franchise tag extension deadline has already passed, so it’s too late for Clowney to ink a long-term deal before the start of the season. However, his future will once again be a topic of discussion after the 2019 season. And, in the interim, Clowney can negotiate off of his one-year, $15.967MM tender.

Clowney filed the termination letter for Cook over five days ago, the NFL.com duo hears, so he’s already eligible to sign with a new agent. Clowney’s next agent will try to get the edge rusher out of a scenario in which he is franchise tagged for a second straight season and re-upped on a one-year team option for a third straight season.

Texans Seeking OT In Jadeveon Clowney Trade?

August 25th, 2019 at 9:12am CST by Rory Parks

There was a lot going on in the AFC South on Saturday night. In addition to Andrew Luck‘s shocking retirement announcement, reports surfaced that the Texans were likely to trade star edge defender Jadeveon Clowney in the next couple of days.

Those reports suggested that Houston is looking to acquire a wide receiver in a Clowney trade, but John McClain of the Houston Chronicle says that while he does expect Clowney to be dealt, he believes the Texans are going to swap him for an offensive tackle when he signs his franchise tender.

As we heard last night, Clowney does have some control over where he gets traded since he has to sign the tender before he can be moved. McClain thinks that head coach and de facto GM Bill O’Brien already has a deal worked out with another team, but the Texans and their trade partner just have to wait until Clowney puts pen to paper.

The O-line was the Texans’ biggest weakness in 2018, and while the club made some efforts to address that unit this offseason, it’s unclear whether the additions will result in a notable uptick in performance. But, with Luck out of the picture, the AFC South landscape has changed dramatically, and Houston now looks like the favorite to bring home the division crown. Given that, and since it’s clear the Texans are never going to sign Clowney to a long-term contract, it makes sense that Houston would want to get something of value for the former No. 1 overall pick before the season starts.

Of course, it’s fair to question whether losing Clowney on the defensive side of the ball will be worse for the team than rolling with their current group of O-lineman, but it seems that Houston is set on trading him. McClain believes the team should also ask for a running back in a trade in order to offset the loss of Lamar Miller, who tore his ACL in Saturday’s preseason game.

Jadeveon Clowney Likely To Be Traded In Next 24-48 Hours?

August 24th, 2019 at 7:50pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Things appear to be reaching a head between Jadeveon Clowney and the Texans. Clowney was franchise tagged earlier this offseason, and the two sides were unable to agree on a longterm extension. Clowney has been holding out all summer, and reportedly didn’t plan to show up until just before the start of the regular season.

There have been rumors that the Texans want to trade Clowney to ensure they get something for him, and those rumors are starting to heat up. Clowney “will be traded within the next 24-to-48 hours,” according to Michael Lombardi of The Athletic (Twitter video link), who adds that he would be “shocked” if he isn’t. Lombardi also reports that “there’s a lot of teams that are after him.”

As for what Houston is looking for in terms of compensation, Lombardi says that they’re looking to add a receiver to play opposite DeAndre Hopkins. The Texans already have a very solid group of pass-catchers with Hopkins, Will Fuller, and Keke Coutee, but they apparently aren’t satisfied. Fuller is coming off a torn ACL and Coutee is seemingly always hurt, so maybe that has something to do with their interest in another wideout.

Lombardi says he knows of two teams that are currently negotiating with Clowney to try to get him to agree to come to them. As he points out, Clowney has some leverage and control in trade talks since he has to sign his franchise tender before he can get traded. The former first overall pick is scheduled to make 15.967MM under the tag in 2019 after being classified as a linebacker, although there have been rumblings about a potential grievance being filed to get him classified as a defensive end.

Jadeveon Clowney To Report To Texans In Late August

August 5th, 2019 at 5:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jadeveon Clowney has made it known he plans to return to the Texans before their first week of regular-season practice. The franchise-tagged edge defender will be back in August.

The sixth-year standout plans to report following Houston’s third preseason game, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link). Clowney will not play in the Texans’ fourth preseason contest but will get some extra work in with his teammates before suiting up in Week 1.

A previous report indicated Clowney would show up before the Texans’ regular-season opener against the Saints, but it looks like he will try to get a bit more work in before then. The Texans play their third preseason game Saturday, August 24, so they will be set to have their full team at practice between then and August 29.

As could be expected, the 26-year-old standout has worked his way into good shape on his own this offseason. He has remained in contact with Texans players and coaches, despite the team opting not to finalize an extension with him. Clowney has been extension-eligible since January 2017 but will still be without a long-term deal by season’s end. A grievance about Clowney’s tag amount (currently at the linebacker rate of $15.967MM) has also been rumored. But the Texans will nonetheless see their top J.J. Watt sidekick earlier than initially expected.

The Texans reportedly did not offer the former No. 1 overall pick a deal in line with those fellow franchise-tagged edge players DeMarcus Lawrence and Frank Clark received, and it was reported Bill O’Brien and since-fired GM Brian Gaine had a difference of opinion regarding a long-term Clowney contract. O’Brien was said to be against it.

Texans Rumors: Clowney, O’Brien, Ossenfort

July 24th, 2019 at 10:05am CST by Zachary Links

Here’s the latest on the Texans:

The Texans do not expect Jadeveon Clowney to report to camp, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports (video link). Still, there is reason to believe that he will not miss any regular season games. Pelissero hears that Clowney is studying his playbook and is still in regular contact with teammates, which isn’t the behavior of someone planning an extended holdout. One source close to Clowney even said he’d be “shocked” if the edge rusher was not on the field for Week 1.
The Texans’ reconfigured front office has head coach Bill O’Brien on top, Albert Breer of The MMQB writes. For now, everything will run through him in an operation that is likely to mirror New England’s. The rest of the plan goes like this: chief negotiator Chris Olsen will oversee the cap, director of player personnel Matt Bazirgan will handle pro scouting, college scouting director James Liipfert will do exactly what his title states, and EVP Jack Easterby will continue to have a jack-of-all-trades role.
On a related note, Breer hears that O’Brien liked New England college scouting director Monti Ossenfort as a GM candidate. Still, it sounds like the Texans are still waiting things out until they can land Nick Caserio.