Jadeveon Clowney push continues Saints’ all-in approach
The New Orleans Saints are reportedly making a big push for Jadeveon Clowney.
While the New Orleans Saints have been in the news regarding Alvin Kamara’s contract and a possible trade, they may be looking to make an even bigger splash. On the other side of the ball, Sean Payton’s club might be in the business of getting a game-changing presence on the defensive line. Namely, they’re trying to land defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.
According to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, the Saints are making an “all-out blitz” to try and sign Clowney as the 2020 NFL season is just over a week away from kicking off. The Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seattle Seahawks are also still in the mix for the free agent pass-rusher but New Orleans has been making a heavy push for him.
Payton has reportedly been in contact with Clowney about the player potentially making the move to the Big Easy. New Orleans already has a top-tier defensive end on the roster in Cameron Jordan and young Marcus Davenport has flashed his potential. Having said that, adding Clowney would be a substantial upgrade and make for a lethal pairing with Jordan.
And really, making such a move is just par for the course with the Saints in their current state. They have been pushing for a Super Bowl run and been in the mix for the past few years with this exact modus operandi, so this is par for the course, more or less.
Jadeveon Clowney is another example of the Saints going all-in.
The general expectation seems to be that this is quarterback Drew Brees’ last year in the NFL as he already has a gig with Sunday Night Football in the broadcast booth lined up. But New Orleans has known that the time left with Brees is short and have consistently been aggressive in trying to build a Super Bowl roster around the quarterback while he’s still around.
Yes, the Saints have consistently drafted well but they’ve also not shied away from signing impact veterans that they believe achieve this goal. Whether it’s been linebacker Demario Davis or even signing wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders this offseason, they identify the talent to put around Brees on both sides of the ball to make the most feasible path to winning another ring.
Jadeveon Clowney fits the bill for that. While many have pointed to his sack production in Seattle last year, the Seahawks didn’t have him well-protected on the defensive line by any stretch and he battled with injuries. If healthy, he’d be walking into a substantially better situation as the New Orleans defensive front is impressive with Jordan and Sheldon Rankins leading the way.
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The Saints aren’t a lock to sign Clowney but, with such a quality team making such a heavy push, they might have to be considered the favorites to land one of the top free agents in the 2020 class. If they do, the already present Super Bowl expectations in New Orleans would be leveled up — and that’s by design with how the organization has stayed the course with aggressively building around Brees.