According to Jason La Canfora, Texans OLB Jadeveon Clowney is expected to be franchised next year with the two parties not expected to come to a long-term agreement before the deadline to place franchise tags on impending free agents.
La Canfora reports that the Texans and Clowney are likely headed towards a battle over his 2019 franchise tag designation amount.
Clowney is one of the top pass rushers in the league and would have no trouble securing a massive contract on the open market. However, the Texans intend to tag Clowney and will make the case that he should be tagged as a linebacker, which would cost them around $15 million fully guaranteed for the 2019 season.
Clowney, on the other hand, will argue that he should receive the amount for defensive ends, which is projected to be worth over $17 million.
There is a precedent for this situation after Terrell Suggs was paid as a defensive end/linebacker hybrid back in 2008 after being franchised by the Ravens.
Clowney, 25, 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 last year.
Clowney was classified as an outside linebacker, which drops his fifth-year option figure from $13.846 million down to $12.306 million for the 2018 season and comes out to a savings of $1.54 million.
Clowney will be an unrestricted free agent in 2019.
In 2018, Clowney has appeared in eight games for the Texans and recorded 24 tackles, 5.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and one defensive touchdown.
We have him featured in our Top 25 – 2019 NFL Free Agents list.
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