Jadeveon Clowney, Seattle Seahawks. (Photo by Rob Leiter/Getty Images)
The Las Vegas Raiders should sign Jadeveon Clowney before someone else does.
Jadeveon Clowney is about to come cheap. The Las Vegas Raiders should cut the check.
Clowney has watched his market sag over the past few months. Once thought to be the best free-agent in the class, the former No. 1 overall is now looking for someone to take his services at a respectable price.
At this juncture, it’s probable Clowney signs for one year and then hits the market again in 2021, looking for a long-term deal. In the interim, Raiders general manager Mike Mayock should swoop in and make Las Vegas his home for at least one season.
Why the Raiders should sign Jadeveon Clowney
The Raiders have both the cap space and need for Clowney on their defense. While rookie defensive end Maxx Crosby was fantastic with 10 sacks in 2019, fellow rookie Clelin Ferrell struggled. Additionally, the signing of Clowney would give Las Vegas a phenomenal tandem while allowing Ferrell to settle in as a rotational rusher for a season.
Last year with the Seattle Seahawks, Clowney played in 13 games and recorded three sack,s his lowest total since his rookie campaign (in which he played four games). The 27-year-old can rehab his value with Las Vegas, playing in a litany of primetime affairs opposite a young, talented rusher in Crosby. It’s a perfect situation.
While this isn’t the free-agency windfall Clowney had in mind, there’s some upside. Never having a double-digit sack season in his career, the former Houston Texans draft pick can hope to be healthy and finally hit said marker.
If Clowney does so, considering his age and all-around abilities, he’ll cash in significantly.