One of the most notable things to come out of free agency is that Jadeveon Clowney has not yet signed. The 2014 number one overall pick was traded to the Seattle Seahawks before the start of last season and had his weakest season since his rookie year. Despite that fact, Clowney thinks he’s worth a pretty penny.
He was reportedly hoping to get $20 million a year, which is extremely high for a player who only notched three sacks last season. He’s also played a full 16 game season just one time in his career. Due to the lack of interest in paying him $20 million a year, ESPN’s Dianna Russini reported in April that he has started to drop his asking price to between $17 and $18 million. He might have to drop it more as there still doesn’t appear to be much interest.
Raiders Could Be a Strong Fit
It’s surprising how long Clowney has been on the market, but teams certainly don’t think he’s worth the type of money he’s asking for. However, as time passes, his price will continue to go down. The Las Vegas Raiders should be one of the teams monitoring Clowney’s status.
When full healthy, he’s one of the better defensive linemen in the NFL. While the Raiders improved quite a bit on their defensive line in 2019, there’s still a lot of work to be done. In free agency, the team signed Carl Nassib and Maliek Collins. Both players are solid additions who should be able to bring more pressure on the quarterback. Plus, Maxx Crosby and Clelin Ferrell should both improve with another year under their belts.
Things are looking up for the Raiders’ defensive line, but it’s still not good enough to slow down Patrick Mahomes. If the team plans on winning the division anytime soon, they have to figure out a way to keep the Kansas City Chiefs from scoring over 30 points every time they play. One way to do that is to just load up on pass-rushing talent and get after their superstar quarterback. Clowney has probably always been overvalued because he was the number one overall pick when he was drafted, which is becoming rarer and rarer for defensive players. That said, he’s a strong defender and should be good for at least eight sacks if he stays healthy. Pass rushers are becoming more and more expensive. If Clowney drops his asking price to the $15 million range, the Raiders should take a serious look at him.
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Yannick Ngakoue Interest Shows Raiders Want More Pass Rush
Prior to the draft, it seemed like the Raiders were content with what they had at defensive end. However, reports emerged that the team was kicking the tires on a trade for Jacksonville Jaguars star Yannick Ngakoue. While that trade never materialized, it showed that the Raiders have at least a slight interest in upgrading their defensive line.
Ngakoue has been more consistent in getting sacks, but Clowney’s numbers aren’t far off. Plus, he wouldn’t require the team to trade anything. If the Raiders feel like they need to add more talent to their defensive line, then they should at least look into a possible Clowney addition.
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