NFL Free Agency 2020: 5 Teams Jadeveon Clowney could sign with

2. Cleveland Browns

Over the past month or so as the market for Jadeveon Clowney in free agency has softened, there has been a growing contingency of fans and analysts alike who are of the mind that the Cleveland Browns should be in the market to sign the first overall selection from the 2014 NFL Draft. Not only do the Browns have the most remaining cap room in the league but the need could be there as well.

Eventually as part of the trade for Odell Beckham Jr. last offseason, the Browns also acquired edge rusher Olivier Vernon. The hope was that pairing the veteran with upstart star Myles Garett would give the Cleveland defense a fearsome 1-2 punch coming off of the edge. But even before Garrett’s ugly incident and subsequent suspension, that wasn’t wholly the case.

Vernon dealt with injuries throughout the 2019 campaign, limiting him to only 10 games. Furthermore, he was not productive when on the field, registering only 3.5 sacks and four tackles for losses on the year. The veteran did have 11 QB hits, which speaks to him getting pressure relatively often. But he was far from the game-changer Clowney could be for this defense.

As Garrett is coming back into the fray off of his suspension, the Browns could save all of the $15.5 million Vernon is owed for 2020 if they cut him. Releasing him and allotting that money to Clowney would keep the Browns open for other moves and future flexibility while also strengthening the defense. And if new general manager Andrew Berry can make the deal, it’s hard to reason why he wouldn’t.