The Browns have already made two of the most significant moves this offseason, trading for Deshaun Watson and Amari Cooper. That has led to optimism they can contend in the AFC as they hoped – but failed – to do last year. One of the biggest remaining weaknesses on the roster, though, is at the edge rusher position. 

It comes as no surprise, then, that CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora writes that Cleveland is looking to add to their edge group. Specifically, he states that the Browns “want to beef up the pass rush”, adding that he “figure[s] they will”. Finding a long-term compliment to Myles Garrett has been an ongoing process in recent years.

The latest attempt to do so, of course, was the signing of Jadeveon Clowney. Brought in on a one-year deal, he enjoyed a far more productive season than the one he spent the year prior in Tennessee. In 14 games, the former No. 1 pick registered nine sacks and a pair of forced fumbles. As a result, the team has left the door open to a return.

If Clowney isn’t brought back, Cleveland could turn to other veterans such as Trey Flowers, Jason Pierre-Paul and Melvin Ingram in free agency. As a result of the Watson trade, their top pick in this month’s draft is 44th overall; while intriguing edge options will still be available at that point, those likeliest to make an immediate impact will be off the board by that point.

The Browns still rank near the top of the league in terms of cap space, so a notable move at the position remains a distinct possibility. Regardless of how it is made, any addition could help maintain their defense’s top-ten ranking in sacks from last season, and relatively strong overall performance.

Jadeveon Clowney‘s first season in Cleveland has been mostly a success, and the former first-overall pick will consider a long-term pact with the Browns when he hits free agency this upcoming offseason.

“I would, but we haven’t talked about anything right now,” Clowney said yesterday (via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal). “Still finishing the season. Got a lot of guys on this team that’s on a one-year deal that might be heading back or don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, but right now, it’s just all about the next game and trying to get through the season and doing what I can do for the team right now.”

As Ulrich notes, the Browns had courted Clowney for a few years, and they finally landed the defender on a one-year deal worth up to $10MM back in April. Following a 2020 campaign that saw him finish with zero sacks in eight games with the Titans, Clowney has rehabilitated his pass-rushing image in 2021. In 12 games (12 starts) this season, the 28-year-old has collected five sacks, 15 QB hits, and 29 tackles.

While Clowney is still unsure of his future, the veteran can count on one thing: teammate Myles Garrett will definitely try to convince him to stay.

“I’ll try, but you never know,” Garrett. “Guys have their own agendas and want to be in certain places. I can’t help it if a guy wants to be in Miami, he likes the weather there more, he likes to be by the water.

Jadeveon Clowney has always been extremely talented, but he’s often struggled with injuries since getting drafted first overall by the Texans back in 2014.

Last season Clowney waited a long time to sign with the Titans, eventually inking a one-year, $13MM pact with them. He had a very disappointing season in Tennessee as injuries limited him to eight games (and zero sacks) before he shut it down to have knee surgery. Clowney signed with the Browns in April, and the team was apparently at least a little concerned about the knee since it was reported they wanted to see him pass a physical before giving him his contract.

Fortunately, it appears all is well so far. Clowney is “already showing that he’s healthy again” and “exploded off the line” at recent Browns minicamp practices, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com writes. “I’ve been training extremely hard this offseason, so I kind of already have a feel of where I was coming here,” Clowney said.

“I felt great coming in, and I feel great now.” That’s good news, since the Browns are counting on him to help replace Olivier Vernon‘s nine sacks from last year and form an elite edge duo opposite Myles Garrett.

Cleveland sought to protect themselves a little bit by giving Clowney a one-year deal worth “up to” $10MM. We learned that it has a base value of $7MM with another $3MM available. He’ll earn $1MM of that just by staying healthy in per-game active roster bonuses, and another $2MM through playing time and sack bonuses.

Six months after having surgery for the torn meniscus, it appears Clowney is back to full strength (for now).

We learned yesterday that Jadeveon Clowney would be joining the Browns on a one-year, $10MM deal, and we’ve now got details on the new pact. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the deal includes a $4.5MM signing bonus and a fully guaranteed base salary worth $2.5MM.

[RELATED: Browns To Sign Jadeveon Clowney]

The deal also includes $1MM in 46-man roster bonuses and $2MM in incentives (including $1MM in playing time bonuses and $1MM in sacks bonuses), making the deal effectively a one-year, $8MM deal that could be worth up to $10MM. Interestingly, the deal is technically a five-year pact, but that ultimately voids to a one-year pact for cap purposes.

Clowney didn’t necessarily have a robust market following an underwhelming season with the Titans that saw him collect 19 tackles and zero sacks in eight games; the Browns were one of three teams (along with the Colts and Ravens) who were connected to the former first-overall pick. While Clowney denied Cleveland last offseason, the team’s pursuit was successful this time around. The 28-year-old told NFL.com’s Nick Shook that the team’s continued interest (along with the money) ultimately changed his tune.