Free-agent DE Jadeveon Clowney tells Josina Anderson he intends to sign with a team, “before the season starts, if everything still goes on time with the season.”
Clowney added he has not narrowed down to a final team and he is still open to a number of possibilities.
Anderson gets the sense Clowney is still confident in his value and that teams should be able to meet his asking price despite the impact of the pandemic.
With the signing of QB Cam Newton by the Patriots, Clowney becomes the biggest name still available on the free-agent market.
The veteran pass rusher reportedly has the Cowboys or Saints at the top of his personal wish list. However, it’s unclear if either team is interested or able to sign Clowney.
The Browns are another team that’s been connected to Clowney that remains interested in the defensive end.
Adam Schefter mentioned last month in an interview with ESPN Cleveland that the Browns have been the “most aggressive” team in terms of their offer to Clowney. However, Schefter explained that Clowney has balked at the Browns’ offer.
“I think they’ve been the most aggressive team with him financially. And, I just think he has balked at going to Cleveland for whatever reason. I think he’s been hesitant to go because if he wasn’t, he would’ve gone already because it’s the most money,” Schefter said, per Jake Trotter. “It’s the richest offer on the table and he hasn’t taken it. So why is that? I don’t know. Is that not wanting to be in that city? Is that a lack of belief in the organization? I don’t know what it is. But there’s no doubt that Cleveland has offered the most money to date. For whatever reason he has not been willing to take it so far. That doesn’t mean that it couldn’t change, but it hasn’t changed just yet.”
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports recently reports that the word around the agent community is that the “super lucrative” deal Clowney turned down from the Browns was worth $12 million in terms of base value.
Mark Berman reported that the Browns, Seahawks, Ravens, Titans, and Eagles are among the teams expressing interest in Clowney.
Clowney was looking for around $20 million per year this offseason, but has reportedly moved closer to $17-$18 million a year.
Clowney, 27, is a former No. 1 overall pick of the Texans back in 2014. He was in the final year of his four-year, $22.272 million contract when the Texans picked up his fifth-year option which paid him $12.306 million for the 2018 season.
Houston franchised Clowney last year before trading him to the Seahawks at the start of the regular season.
In 2019, Clowney appeared in 13 games for the Seahawks and recorded 31 tackles, three sacks, an interception, two defensive touchdowns, four forced fumbles, two recoveries and three pass defenses. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 20 edge rusher out of 108 qualifying players.
We have him featured in our Top 100 Available 2020 Free Agents list.
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