So apparently, Jadeveon Clowney wants Aaron Donald money. Not surprisingly, he isn't getting it.
As a result, Clowney's market has come to a standstill. So much to the point that he may end up having to accept a one-year offer from the Seattle Seahawks (for whom he played in 2019) and revisit free agency next offseason.
The problem for Clowney is that he has an exaggerated sense of what his value actually is.
Let me just say this right off the bat to clear up any misconceptions: Clowney is a good player. A very good one, as a matter of fact. He is a freakish athlete. Clowney can take on multiple blockers. He can be very disruptive. The veteran defensive end is also a three-time Pro Bowler.
However, Clowney is not Donald. He is not Khalil Mack. He is not Chandler Jones.
But he seems to think he is on that level.
Why else would he be asking for $20 million a year, which is a tier above what other clubs have been willing to give him thus far in free agency?
Clowney has been in the NFL since 2014, when the Houston Texans selected him with the first overall pick of the draft. Injuries limited him to four games during his rookie campaign. But from 2015 through 2018, he was able to stay relatively healthy, and he made three straight Pro Bowls during his final three years in Houston.
However, in spite of Clowney's accolades, he never registered a double-digit sack season, topping out at 9.5 sacks in 2017.
Oh, and this past year? He logged a grand total of three sacks with the Seahawks. Yes, he was compromised for a sizeable chunk of the second half of the season due to a sports hernia injury, but it's not like he was lighting it up before that.
So why has Clowney developed this reputation as some elite pass rusher? Well, among fans and the media, anyway. Actual NFL organizations seem to be up to speed on the type of player that he is. Which is again, a very good one who is unquestionably a step below the top pass rushers and defensive linemen in the league.
Taking that into consideration, it's not at all shocking that Clowney is still available when most of the other top free agents have already been signed. And it's not the least bit jarring that he doesn't even have much of a market due to his inflated asking price.
Don't get me wrong: a club (maybe Seattle) will certainly sign Clowney, and he will certainly help that team. Once again, no one is saying that he is a bum or a guy who doesn't make an impact. But let's not pretend that this is prime Michael Strahan or Jason Taylor hitting the open market. Clowney is not that type of generational talent.
This is more like a B-plus level player who can help put a defense that is already good over the top. He is not a guy who is going to transform a defense all by himself.
Perhaps it was the fact that he was a No. 1 overall pick. I don't know. But I'm not sure I have ever seen a defensive player with Clowney's type of production ever get lauded this much.
The thing is, NFL teams seem to be well aware of it.
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