Getty Jadeveon Clowney continues to play the waiting game in free agency.
The longer Jadeveon Clowney’s free agency goes on it appears the Seahawks are keeping a small hope alive that the pass rusher can be persuaded to return. ESPN’s Josina Anderson reported that the Seahawks remained “open to Clowney returning” but the team’s “economic situation notably changed” since Seattle presented their initial offer when free agency began.
“[Regarding] latest reports on Jadeveon Clowney & #Seahawks: Was just told while Seattle remains open to Clowney returning, the economic situation has notably changed over last couple months since both sides spoke. The starting pt would be very different. Still, not in the air right now,” Anderson tweeted.
Clowney has been banking on the idea that a team would emerge with a major offer, but so far the pass rusher has not found a deal to his liking. The pass rusher may have to wait until closer to training camp to be able to meet with prospective teams but Anderson added that there does not appear to be a sizable contract waiting for him with NFL teams poised to lose money next season.
“Also the other thing to keep in mind on a macro level, with everything going on in the world right now, based on multiple conversations, some clubs are going to be ‘even more cash-conscious,’ with one source telling me they wouldn’t be surprised if the cap went down next season,” Anderson explained on Twitter.
The Seahawks Are Reportedly Willing to Pay Clowney a $15 Million Salary
Anderson’s recent report coincides with the Seahawks repeatedly emphasizing they would not rule out re-signing Clowney. The question is what the Seahawks are willing to pay Clowney now that the free-agency period is in its third month. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported that the Seahawks offered a $15 million salary to Clowney on a one-year deal and “still may be” willing to pay the same price to the pass rusher.
“So how much would the Seahawks pay? As one league source explained it, Seattle has been willing to pay Clowney $15 million on a one-year deal,” Florio said. “During the talks between Clowney’s representatives and Seattle, it came up that the Browns would pay Clowney $18 million. It’s unclear whether that was a real offer or the kind of puffery that happens during negotiations.”
ESPN 710 Seattle’s John Clayton noted that the Seahawks would have to clear an estimated $10 million to sign Clowney to the kind of deal that has been rumored to be on the table. The Seahawks released Justin Britt and D.J. Fluker earlier this offseason but would still have more work to do to clear additional space.
Some Believe the Latest Reports Is Clowney Trying to Create Leverage
The News Tribune’s Gregg Bell noted that he believes the latest reports are an effort by Clowney’s camp to land an offer to the defensive end’s liking. Bell called Anderson’s report “posturing and leveraging” orchestrated by Clowney.
“More posturing, leveraging in the ongoing stalemate of Jadeveon Clowney with the #Seahawks and every other potentially interested team in the league,” Bell explained on Twitter.
Sports Illustrated’s Corbin Smith described the Seahawks’ chances of re-signing Clowney as “slim” even after the latest report.
“Sticking with what I’ve been saying for past month or so… I still think #Seahawks re-signing Jadeveon Clowney is slim proposition at this point,” Smith noted on Twitter. “The ‘new’ $15 million offer falls in line with reports early in free agency. I don’t see Seattle going beyond that on one-year deal.”
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