SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – OCTOBER 03: Jadeveon Clowney #90 of the Seattle Seahawks runs off the field during the game against the Los Angeles Rams at CenturyLink Field on October 03, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Seahawks top the Los Angeles Rams 30-29. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
Jadeveon Clowney has lingered available into April, and the Cleveland Browns might just come into the mix late and get him.
Less than three weeks before the NFL Draft is scheduled to take place, Jadeveon Clowney stands as no less than one of the top three available free agents. The New York Jets and Tennessee Titans have surfaced with interest lately, and according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler the Cleveland Browns have shown interest in the former No. 1 overall pick.
Clowney spent last season with the Seattle Seahawks, and they have been the team most closely connected with him as a landing spot. Clowney has dropped his asking price, from $20 million per year to the $17-$18 million range, but to this point no suitable offers have come.
Multiple reports have indicated Clowney is willing to wait to sign, perhaps all the way until training camp. But Fowler added that the Browns have gotten closer to signing him than other suitors.
Right now, the Browns have a league-high $43 million in cap space. Adding Clowney to a defensive end mix that includes Myles Garrett and Olivier Vernon is interesting, but Clowney’s presence might push Vernon all the way out the door, They have reportedly shopped him via trade and a pay cut is probably still a possibility, but they can also just release Vernon and clear his entire $15.5 million cap hit.
If the Browns want to, they can give Clowney a multi-year deal in line with his original asking price and not bat an eye. The Jets ($29.15 million in cap space) and Titans ($23.28 million in cap space) can compete close to that level if they want to, but the Seahawks ($14.285 million in cap space) can’t and are probably out of the mix at this point unless Clowney really wants to come back.
Surface stats (three sacks) say Clowney had a down year last year, but Pro Football Focus graded him out as their 10th-best overall edge defender. If the Browns do pony up to pay him, within reason of course, it will look like a savvy move.