Why the Tennessee Titans will prove they’re not a fluke
By Dustin Baker
Jadeveon Clowney makes a good defense even better
The Jadeveon Clowney Sweepstakes, after several months of strange uncertainty, is over. Clowney solved a lingering free-agency mystery and signed on the dotted line with Vrabel’s Titans.
Tennessee pass-rushers sacked opposing quarterbacks 43 times in 2019, the 13th-most in the NFL. With Clowney in the mix, that mark figures to trend skyward. Although 2019 was a down season for Clowney from a production standpoint, his prognosis in working with Vrabel is a vibrant one.
And, yes, it will be working specifically with Vrabel — the Titans are one of the only teams in the NFL that will operate sans a defensive coordinator in 2020.
In the last four years, Clowney has notched 72 quarterback hits, a number than places him ahead of premier pass-rushers like Danielle Hunter, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dee Ford, and sentimental favorite, Jurrell Casey. He’s also a tackle-for-loss menace in that he blows up running plays.
In the same four-year time frame, Clowney has registered 60 tackles for loss, which is the fourth-most in the business. He’s tackled ball carriers in the backfield more than Khalil Mack, Von Miller, and Joey Bosa since 2016.
Vrabel probably didn’t need more toys for his defensive playroom. But he now has an extra one in Clowney.