Seahawks Break Silence on Jadeveon Clowney

Getty Jadeveon Clowney continues to play the waiting game in free agency.

The Seattle Seahawks have finally provided an update on the ongoing negotiations with Jadeveon Clowney. General Manager John Schneider and Head Coach Pete Carroll held their annual pre-draft media press conference, but this year it took the form of a video call. Schneider admitted the team had to continue to “conduct business” when it came to moving on from negotiations with Clowney and also emphasized that the door was not closed on the pass rusher returning to the Seahawks.

“With Clowney, you know we made the trade,” Schneider explained in the press conference. “He came in and did a great job for us. We made an effort to re-sign him. The door is not closed, but we could not wait any longer. We had to conduct business. He knew that everything was very cordial. He is a great guy represented by a great guy. I go all the way back to Brett Favre [in Green Bay] with his representative, Buzz Cook. We’ve had great conversations. He’s just gonna kind of feel his way through this odd process. We’ll see where that goes.”

Clowney Appears to Be in No Rush to Make a Decision

Both Schneider and Carroll emphasized that Clowney appears to be waiting out the process, potentially until he can meet with teams. While neither party sounded optimistic, they also stopped short of ruling out a potential comeback for Clowney.

“As John said, we are wide open and battling and we’ll take on all the opportunities that show up,” Carroll noted. “We’ll see if Clowney comes back around or not. We don’t know, but we’ll find out in time. Fortunately, it has been handled really well, as John said, so there is an ongoing [nature] to that. We’ll see where he is when he is ready to make a decision. Things have changed a little bit, guys haven’t been able to travel around and get to places and visit and stuff like that. So there’s a number of guys that have kind of taken the [approach] that I am going to wait and see what happens, buy some time here. That’s kinda what it seems like J.D. has done.”

The Seahawks Remain Committed to Improving Their Pass Rush

Schneider appeared pleased with the latest Seahawks acquisitions but also indicated they would look to continue to improve their pass rush. The Seahawks GM admitted that the Seahawks “need to do a better job” at improving the defensive line.

“Obviously, we need to do a better job in that regard,” Schneider explained. “That’s from an acquisition standpoint, from a developmental standpoint and a schematic standpoint.”

The Seahawks signed Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa. Schneider emphasized the sack numbers both players bring with them from last season and the excitement the team has in bringing back the pass rushers.

“From a pass rush standpoint, we were able to acquire Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa,” Schneider said. “Two individuals, we are very comfortable with, confident in. … We’re excited about having those guys back. L.J. [Collier] will have a year under his belt. Hopefully, we can keep him healthy.”

From the latest update, it sounds like the Seahawks are not expecting a resolution from Clowney any time soon. It remains to be seen whether the Seahawks could be active in the trade market to acquire a premier pass rusher.

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