It’s anyone’s guess where Jadeveon Clowney will be playing football in 2020.
The star pass rusher reportedly entered free agency in search of a massive contract worth more than $20 million annually. At this point, it’s tough to imagine Clowney will land those figures, which in turn has led some in the football world to believe he should opt for a one-year deal and re-enter the open market in 2021.
There might be one team out there open to giving the 27-year-old a lucrative, long-term deal, however. Yahoo Sports! Charles Robinson believes Clowney ultimately land with the Cleveland Browns, who have the financial means to satisfy the three-time Pro Bowl selection.
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“I still think it’s the Browns. I really do,” Robinson said Monday on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “I’ve been on this for a while. I still think the Cleveland Browns are a team that have a ton of cap space. If they cut Olivier Vernon tomorrow, it’s a $15 million cap hold, OK? …You want to put him with a set of guys who can be sort of force multipliers. So you’re sitting there at defensive end saying, ‘There’s Myles Garrett on one end, you put Jadeveon Clowney on the other. Something’s gonna happen here.’ One of these guys is gonna have to get doubled. It’s gonna change the matrix up front for offensive teams. I still think the Browns are a team that is very interested in Jadeveon Clowney but are slow-playing this process. Because look, the bottom line is Clowney’s just not in a hurry. There’s nothing going on right now.
“…I think he’s waiting until he knows there are no other options out there. I honestly believe its whittled down to a huge pay cut with the Titans or something with the Browns that is less than the $20 million he wants, but at least closer.”
The Browns might want to be wary of going all in on Clowney. The No. 1 overall pick from 2014 has all the talent in the world, but he’s caught flak over the course of his career for his inconsistent motor. On the heels of a vastly disappointing 2019 season, the last thing Cleveland needs is a high-priced player who underperforms.
In addition to the Browns and Titans, the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles also have been attached to Clowney in rumors.
