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Seattle Seahawks free-agent defensive end Jadeveon Clowney plans to be signed with a team by the start of the season. ESPN’s Josina Anderson reported that Clowney does not have a final list of teams and is aiming to sign “before the season starts.”
“Just got off the phone with free agent DE Jadeveon Clowney,” Anderson tweeted on June 30. “He told me, at this time, he intends to sign with a team ‘before the season starts, if everything still goes on time with the season.’ Clowney also added, ‘no I have not narrowed down a final team. I’m still open.'”
This news comes after Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline reported that Clowney was targeting a move to either the Cowboys or Saints. Anderson added that Clowney “remains confident about his value” despite remaining unsigned four months after NFL free agency began.
“It’s my opinion from my phone conversation with Clowney just now that he remains confident about his value and worth and that interested teams have the ability to still pay, regardless of the upcoming pandemic-impacted season,” Anderson added. “I sensed zero shift in that belief.”
A Short-Term Deal for Clowney Is Looking More Likely
Clowney may remain confident on his value, but the pass rusher finding a lucrative long-term deal appears unlikely at this point in the process. The defensive end is could be targeting the best one-year option on a team where he can put up bigger numbers next season with hopes of re-entering free agency in 2021.
It remains to be seen whether the Seahawks are still considering bringing back Clowney. The pass rusher indicated earlier this offseason that he had not ruled out the Seahawks. During a May interview with Fox 26 Houston’s Mark Berman, Clowney noted that he had not ruled out a return to Seattle.
“I love Seattle when I was there this past year,” Clowney noted. “I loved everybody on the coaching staff, I wouldn’t trade them guys in. I hope we can work something out, if anything happen, I did like it up there. I love Russ. I love all the guys I played with. J. Reed [Jarran Reed], B Jack [Branden Jackson], all the boys in my D [defensive line] room. I respect them guys.”
The Cowboys & Saints Are Reportedly Clowney’s Top Choices
Clowney has been linked to the Cowboys and Saints but it is unclear if either team shares the pass rusher’s interest. Pauline reported that the two teams are “on top of Clowney’s list.”
“I was told the two teams on top of Clowney’s list, as far as where he would like to end up are the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints,” Pauline explained. “He would definitely help both of those teams. Both of them are a little bit cash-strapped, the Saints have less than $9 million under the cap. The Cowboys are about $11.2 million below the cap. So, I don’t think either of [them] is going to be enough to bring Clowney in. They would have to do some significant maneuvering of salary in order to bring him in for a year, if in fact those teams want him. I don’t know that they want him, I know Clowney wouldn’t mind ending up with either the Cowboys or the Saints from what I’m told.”
It will be interesting to see if Clowney looks to make a decision before training camp starts, or if the pass rusher could extend the process into August. The Seahawks have indicated on multiple occasions that they have not ruled out bringing back Clowney, but it remains to be seen if they can reach a deal.
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