Jadeveon Clowney on Cleveland Browns creates nightmare for AFC North
Jadeveon Clowney has balked the Cleveland Browns offers but would be a stud signing.
In what has been a long-running free agency saga for Jadeveon Clowney, the No. 1 overall pick from the 2014 NFL Draft has almost reached the end of May without signing a contract with the Seahawks or a new team. And as arguably the top free agent on the market this offseason, he’s not been short on suitors, including the Cleveland Browns.
Recently, Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports appeared on The Pat McAfee Show and referred to the Browns as the favorites to sign Clowney this offseason. Given the aggressiveness of Cleveland in recent years when it comes to offseason acquisitions, if they’re interested in the pass-rusher, then it stands to reason they would be the favorites.
Having said that, the Browns have one hangup in a potential deal. No, it’s not money. Rather, it’s the fact that Jadeveon Clowney may not want to play in Cleveland. ESPN’s Adam Schefter appeared on “The Next Level” radio show for ESPN Cleveland, saying that the Browns have offered Clowney more money than anyone, which makes it curious that he hasn’t signed.
Adam Schefter, on The Next Level on @ESPNCleveland today, had this to say about DE Jadeveon Clowney and the Browns @AdamSchefter @egoldie80: pic.twitter.com/d3URysUQ7M
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) May 27, 2020
As Schefter says, this doesn’t mean that Cleveland won’t sign the pass-rusher but the fact that he turned down the most lucrative offer he’s received from them adds some curiosity to the situation.
Will the Browns actually sign Jadeveon Clowney?
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Frankly, it’s impossible to answer the million-dollar question on the table about Clowney in Cleveland because of the information we have. The simple truth is that we don’t know the reason why the free agent hasn’t signed with the team that has offered him the most money.
There are numerous explanations as to why Clowney hasn’t landed with the Browns yet that could still lead to him signing with the team. It could be related to his physical. It could be related to guarantees, which could be negotiated. It could be related to incentives, which could also be changed with some debate between the two parties. And the list goes on.
What we know for sure is that Clowney joining the Browns defense would be a huge coup for Cleveland. Yes, this team is notorious for “winning the offseason” but not living up to expectations on the field. However, it would be hard not to get optimistic once again about what they could accomplish in 2020.
Not only would the offense have the potential to put their talent to good use under new head coach Kevin Stefanski but the defense would have a host of high-end playmakers, headlined by Clowney, Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward, Larry Ogunjobi, Greedy Williams and Grant Delpit, among others. That’s a terrifying unit for every team in the AFC North as Cleveland would at least have the potential to take control of the division.
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Despite Schefter’s report, let’s also not overlook the fact that Robinson did also say that the Browns are the favorites to sign Jadeveon Clowney. Maybe he’s misinformed, maybe thing have changed to lead to Schefter’s speculation, or maybe Cleveland is staying the course and will eventually land the big fish in the free agency pond. We shall see.