Getty New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh reacting in the middle of an NFL game.
The New York Jets are poised to add another star talent on the defensive side of the football.
NFL Insider Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report posted on social media, “Following Jadeveon Clowney’s visit with the Jets, he and the organization have remained in constant contact, with one source describing New York as ‘highly motivated’ to try and secure a deal with Clowney.”
Expanding Market for Clowney’s Services
Schultz added that two other NFL teams are still in the mix, the Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens.
“The Jets have been searching for a pass rusher, especially with Bryce Huff leaving for Philly,” Schultz explained on X previously Twitter. “They were in on Shaq Barrett until the very end and they like Jadeveon Clowney a lot. There’s competition though…”
Barrett revealed during a radio interview this week how close he was to signing with the Jets. Ultimately the Miami Dolphins swooped in at the very last moment to steal him away from the green and white.
New York seems desperate to add some pass rush talent to the squad and Clowney seems to fit the bill. The former No. 1 overall pick is coming off of a 9.5 sack season which is the most he has ever produced in a single year.
Gang Green hosted Clowney for a free agent visit this past week. According to ESPN radio host Jake Asman, the meeting between the two parties went “great.”
The Price for Clowney Won’t Be Cheap for the Jets in Free Agency
If the Jets really want to add Clowney it’s going to cost them a pretty penny. The other player they were targeting on the open market, Barrett, signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins that has a maximum value of $9 million, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Free-agent Shaq Barrett has agreed to terms with the Dolphins on a one-year deal worth up to $9 million. The deal was confirmed by agents Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey.
According to Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus, Clowney is expected to sign a similar contract.
The PFF projections have the former South Carolina product signing a one-year deal for $9 million with $8 million of that guaranteed.
“Clowney enjoyed a career year with Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald dialing things up for him, deploying simulated pressures and exotic blitzes out of various fronts. It seems Clowney will probably ride out the rest of his career on successive one-year deals that fluctuate based on his production the year prior, and he certainly earned himself a raise this season,” Spielberger explained. “With the Ravens in 2023, he recorded his highest pressure rate, highest pass-rush win rate and most total pressures in a season.”
Last year Clowney signed a one-year deal for only $2.5 million. The Ravens got the maximum bang for their buck with Clowney erupting in their system. The Jets won’t be so lucky in terms of the contract structure.
If New York was as serious about Barrett as it appears, then they shouldn’t have a problem ponying up. Barrett has racked up 59 sacks since entering the league in 2015. Clowney got to the NFL a year earlier and is just behind him with 52.5 career sacks.
A lot was made of the Jets losing Huff who came off of a 10-sack campaign. If New York can get a guy who had half a sack less than that for a quarter of the price that wouldn’t be a bad consolation.