Jets Never Had Serious Interest In Jadeveon Clowney

ESPN’s Rich Cimini reports that the Jets never had serious interest in DE Jadeveon Clowney and have held off pursuing him because of reservations about his price tag, health, modest production and motor. 

Back in April, a close to the situation told Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline that the Jets were “fishing around” Clowney and would have a good shot at him with a legitimate offer.

Pauline added that Clowney is interested in playing for a big market team like the Jets. However, there has been any serious buzz regarding Clowney ending up with the Jets since then. 

ESPN’s Adam Schefter said in an interview with ESPN Cleveland last week 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. 

Multiple executives tell La Canfora that they could see Clowney getting around $8 – $10 million per year at this point in free agency.

Ravens OLB Matthew Judon just agreed to a franchise tender of $16.8 million, but La Canfora can’t see a team offering Clowney this kind of money unless a team loses an elite defender to injury. 

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. 2o edge rusher out of 108 qualifying players.

We have him featured in our Top 100 Available 2020 Free Agents list.