Arden Key defiantly says Raiders don’t need Jadeveon Clowney

Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher Arden Key responded to talks about the team potentially signing Jadeveon Clowney, saying that they don’t need him.

Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher Arden Key seemingly took offense to the implication that the team’s pass rush needs to add Jadeveon Clowney to get better, remarking that the team does not need to add to the pass rushing group.

Key seems confident in himself and his teammates like Maxx Crosby and Clelin Ferrell, but his statement is puzzling considering the Raiders’ struggles in taking down the quarterback in 2019. The team ranked near the bottom of the league with just 32 sacks, and Clowney could certainly boost a subpar group.

Arden Key might be off about Jadeveon Clowney

Key posted just two sacks in 2019, and while Clowney had just three with the Seattle Seahawks, he is one of the game’s most disruptive defenders. He would immediately become the best player on Las Vegas’s defensive line, if not the entire defense.

Raiders fans likely hope that the team ignores Key’s statement as well. General manager Mike Mayock certainly has the cap space to sign Clowney and reportedly made an offer to him as recently as July, per CBS Sports.

Per Tashan Reed of The Athletic, Key has high expectations for himself in 2020, which may explain his bold take. The embattled pass rusher had high expectations coming out of LSU, but fell in the draft and has struggled to stay on the field and produce.

Even if Key breaks out, the Raiders could stand to add talent to the pass rush. While Maxx Crosby posted an impressive 10 sacks as a rookie, fourth overall pick Clelin Ferrell was underwhelming. A veteran like Clowney with Pro Bowl potential could bring a dynamic element to the front four, recapturing some of the swagger that the Raiders lost when they traded away Khalil Mack.