Getty Images Free agent DE Jadeveon Clowney burnt his bridge with the Cleveland Browns.
The Cleveland Browns are banged up at defensive end but they won’t be pursuing Jadeveon Clowney to help fill the hole.
Browns former third-round pick Alex Wright and seventh-round pick Isaiah Thomas are both set to miss extended time due to knee injuries. The team announced that both players underwent arthroscopic surgery Tuesday.
The injuries will require several weeks of rehab and a full recovery is expected early in the season, per the team.
Neither are starters but were expected to play a role in the Browns’ pass-rush rotation. Both players are entering their second seasons. Wright, a third-round pick, played in all 17 games as a rookie with a handful of starts and amassed 28 tackles and two tackles for a loss. Thomas, a seventh-round pick, recorded one sack, nine tackles and two pass breakups in 10 games.
The Browns’ depth will be tested and there’s a chance they explore the free agent market with some notable veterans still available. However, Clowney is one player the Browns will not be reaching out to, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. The former top-overall pick burned his bridge on the way out, calling out the coaching staff and superstar pass-rusher Myles Garrett.
“One pass rusher still available on the open market is Jadeveon Clowney, but he burned his bridge with the Browns last season by complaining to cleveland.com about being switched to the tougher blocker so Garrett could get his sacks,” Cabot reported.
Clowney was visiting with the Ravens on Tuesday, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.
Browns Sign Former Ravens DE Charles Wiley
The Browns did add some depth at defensive end in the form of Charles Wiley, who most recently played in the USFL. He finished the year with seven tackles and a sack for the Houston Roughnecks.
Wiley also spent time with the Baltimore Ravens and New York Giants after going undrafted in 2022 but did not appear in a game. The Browns want to see what he can do as they eye additional options, per Cabot.
“The Browns will continue to look for edge rushers for depth behind the big three, but want to see what Wiley brings to the table,” Cabot reported.
The Browns have a strong top three in Myles Garrett, Za’Darius Smith and Ogbo Okoronkwo. However, new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has a plan to keep everyone fresh for all four quarters.
“We’ll play a lot of guys up front, right?” Schwartz said. “We’re not just going to play four guys. We’ll roll through eight, maybe even nine guys at times, trying to keep guys fresh and keep them throwing 100 mph fastballs.”
Jadeveon Clowney Has Received Limited Interest as Free Agent
Clowney has not been a hot name in free agency, receiving limited interest. He signed a 1-year, $10 million deal to return to the Browns last offseason following a resurgent nine-sack campaign. However, he managed just two sacks last year playing opposite of Garrett and missed time with an ankle injury.
Clowney’s exit in Cleveland likely hasn’t helped his cause as a free agent.
“You’re all trying to get [Garrett] into the Hall of Fame instead of winning games,” Clowney told Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot ahead of the final game of the season. “I don’t even think [Garrett] notices. I ain’t trying to say it’s him. I try to get along with everybody I play with. Me and him don’t have a problem. It ain’t his fault, and it’s B.S., and I don’t have time for it.”
Clowney has expressed an interest in returning to the Houston Texans — the team who drafted him — but nothing seems imminent for the 30-year-old.