Jadeveon Clowney is one of the best NFL free agents left out there with training camps approaching in roughly a month. So where will the former No. 1 overall pick land? He’s reportedly eyeing two top NFC teams.
Jadeveon Clowney rumors: Pass rusher wants to sign with Cowboys or Saints?
Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network delved into what Clowney has been up to lately during his “NFL Draft Insiders Podcast” Monday. He said Clowney has been working out in Florida but noted it’s been difficult for teams to do any sort of meetings with the free agent defensive end.
During the podcast, Pauline also revealed the two teams Clowney wants to play for in 2020: “I was told the two teams on top of Clowney’s list, as far as where he would like to end up, are the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints,” Pauline said.
Jadeveon Clowney wants a short-term contract to play for a winner
Discussing the elephant in the room concerning Clowney these days (money), Pauline revealed that winning matters just as much to the defensive end as raking in big money on a longer-term deal.
“What I’m told right now by people in his camp is that Clowney would be just as happy signing a one-year deal with a playoff-contending team versus, say, signing a three-year deal with a middle-of-the-road franchise,” Pauline said.
The problem with this notion is that the two teams Clowney really wants to play for — the Cowboys and Saints — are both in tight salary-cap situations and would need to make room for his salary.
Frustrating season with Seahawks saw Jadeveon Clowney stats take a nose dive
When Clowney was traded from Houston to Seattle last August, there was an expectation he’d elevate the Seahawks defense in a big way. While he did have a big impact on some games (the San Francisco game springs to mind), Clowney wasn’t consistent and his stats suffered.
The three-time Pro Bowler logged just three sacks last season, along with 21 solo tackles and four forced fumbles appearing in 13 games with the Seahawks. Statistically, it was his worst season since 2014 when he missed most of the campaign as a rookie.
Now healthy following offseason surgery, Clowney looks to rebound with a strong 2020 season. Where he lands will almost certainly have something to do with the outcome.