Getty The Seahawks remained in discussions with Jadeveon Clowney until he signed with the Titans.
Jadeveon Clowney remains on the free-agent market despite the Seahawks making a competitive offer to the pass rusher. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio told 106.7 The Fan that Seahawks offered a one-year, $15 million deal which is lower than the Browns deal.
“My understanding is the Seahawks have been in the range of $15 million on a one-year deal for Jadeveon Clowney,” Florio noted, via 247Sports.com. “The Seahawks have been led to believe that the Browns offered 18 (million), and he has yet to take that. I don’t know what he wants. With him, it comes down to getting a number that he’s happy with.”
It is unclear if the Seahawks’ offer remains on the table given the pass rusher’s reluctance to accept the deal. Seattle likely offered a long-term deal when free agency started, but Clowney appears poised to take a one-year contract with hopes of finding better offers in 2021.
The Browns’ deal has been reported at a wide range of numbers as ESPN’s Adam Schefter called it “the richest offer on the table.” Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson implied that Clowney has not been excited about a potential move to Cleveland.
“Adam Schefter has come out and said the Browns had the best offer on the table. That is correct and I will add a little to that,” Robinson explained on the Yahoo Sports NFL Podcast. “It was a ‘best offer on the table’ for a bit, for a bit. You know, the Browns were very patient about it. …Clowney is in a space right now, and this is after talking to a multitude of sources who have been involved in the Clowney chase, including other teams for almost two months now. Clowney is in a bit of a space right now where he is worried about the location. He’s like, ‘Do I want to live in that city? Do I want to play in that franchise long-term? Am I getting the money I want? Does the family I will be bringing with me want to live in that city?’ Like, this is a life decision here. It is not just a team decision.”
There Have Been Conflicting Reports About the Browns’ Offer to Clowney
According to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, the Browns’ offer is less than Florio reported and closer to $12 million.
“The word throughout the agent community is that the reportedly ‘super lucrative’ deal he turned down from the Cleveland Browns would have been worth $12M at its base,” La Canfora said. “That’s a far cry from the over $20M a year Clowney initially wanted on a long-term deal.”
Clowney May Be Able to Conduct In-Person Meetings Soon
One of the likely holdups for Clowney making a decision has been his inability to meet with teams in-person due to the league’s COVID-19 restrictions. This has been particularly challenging as teams have unable to have their medical staff conduct a full examination of Clowney, an important factor given his injury history.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the league is close to allowing teams to opening their facilities for select players. This would likely open up the door for the remaining free agents to meet with teams as well.
“No dates set yet and no minicamps expected, but the NFL and NFLPA are discussing the possibility of certain players — such as rookies, and veterans who changed teams and need physicals — returning to club facilities on a limited basis before June 26, per sources,” Pelissero tweeted.
Sports Illustrated’s Corbin Smith responded to Pelissero’s report noting he believes this could point to Clowney making a decision about his future.
“This would be big news. Also could lead to you-know-who maybe signing a contract…” Smith noted on Twitter.