Things did not work out for Jadeveon Clowney in Carolina, where he had gotten a two-year, $20 million contract for a team that had hoped to make a leap in the standings that, it turned out, the roster simply was not ready for. Maybe there’s a cautionary tale in there for the Patriots, who are hoping to turn things around after back-to-back four-win seasons and a winter of hefty spending.
That is, of course, what the Panthers attempted to do last season, and it moved them from two wins to five. An optimist might say that’s a 150% increase in wins. A realist would say, it’s five wins.
It would be an obvious disappointment if the Patriots’ follow the Panthers path but, obviously, simply signing Clowney, who was cut by the Panthers earlier this month, would not mean New England is headed in a Carolinian direction, even with some of the parallels in place.
And according to CBS Sports, the prospect of adding Clowney is worth the risk for the Pats.
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In an article titled, “NFL free agency: Why Jadeveon Clowney could be game-changer for Patriots or Commanders,” CBS’s Brad Crawford noted that the Patriots make a lot of sense for Clowney–and vice-versa.
“There is still gas in the tank for NFL free agent Jadeveon Clowney and, while his gauge no longer hits high octane, the veteran defensive end remains productive in the twilight of his career. The next team which signs the former No. 1 overall pick gets a situational pass rusher coming off 46 tackles and a team-best 5.5 sacks last season with the Carolina Panthers, who released him to clear cap space,” he wrote.
Crawford points out that there is familiarity with the Patriots staff and Clowney, a three-time Pro Bowler who was the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NFL draft. Mike Vrabel was his position coach as a rookie, and Clowney has worked with Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams in Houston, too.
While the Patriots have beefed up what was a woeful pass rush (dead last in the NFL with 28 sacks) from a year ago with the additions of Harold Landry and K’Lavon Chiasson in free agency, they could use a sack-seeking specialist. Clowney could be the guy.
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The Panthers cut Clowney to save $7.7 million off their salary cap, and signing him could be a bargain. Spotrac projects his market value to run two years and $23 million, but given the circumstances of his release from Carolina, he could probably be had on an incentive-laden deal that makes him a high-value signing.
Clowney feels he has much to offer still. He told The Athletic after he was cut:
“I’m definitely gonna play well. You can mark my word on that. I don’t care where I end up playing at, I’m gonna play extremely well.
“I think I played well for Carolina (last) year, considering the circumstances that was unfolded for me. I played with a bunch of guys that was hurt this past year. And I ended up playing extremely well for them. So it is what it is. I can play the game. I can play football. There are 31 other teams. I just hope another team gives me that opportunity so I can prove myself again. I feel like I can do that.”
