Titans’ lukewarm interest shows Jadeveon Clowney’s market isn’t what he thinks it is
It’s the middle of June and Jadeveon Clowney is still without an NFL team for the 2020 season.
After being the number one overall pick in 2014, Jadeveon Clowney has had a very up and down NFL career. He got off to a slow start in Houston, but by the end of his time there was becoming the player football fans watched wreck havoc on offenses while at South Carolina.
Despite Clowney turning things around, the Texans didn’t want to pay him what he was wanting, so he spent the 2019 season in Seattle and despite a decent season, wasn’t re-signed there.
While this NFL offseason is a very different one from years past due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Clowney not getting any interest from teams who could use a player like him might indicate that the former number one overall pick doesn’t have much of a market.
Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk reported that the Tennessee Titans haven’t talked with Clowney at all recently. The Titans are a team that could be a nice landing spot for Clowney because they’re coming off an impressive season that saw them make it all the way to the AFC Championship Game and they parted ways with longtime defensive tackle Jurrell Casey this offseason.
Jadeveon Clowney’s market isn’t what he thinks it is
The Titans have a need for a player like Clowney, but their lack of interest in paying him what he wants could spell trouble for the former Gamecock. Both the Seahawks and Browns were willing to give him one-year deals (with the Browns’ offer being worth $18 million), so it’s clear that teams see potential in Clowney, but want him on a prove it kind of deal.
Prove it deals aren’t always a bad thing, but for a player like Clowney who was once the number one overall pick and has had tremendous success in recent years (as recent as 2018), it could be looked at as a slap in the face. He’s battled with injuries, which is a big concern when it comes to dishing out big time money to him.
Clowney is still a good player with a lot to offer whatever team decides to sign him, but for the time being, he might have to accept that a one-year deal is the right route for him. It could end up being a smart decision for him too, as he could play well on his next deal and that could pave the way for him to get that long-term contract he’s coveting.