The New York Jets aren’t done making moves and there is still some time to make something happen ahead of the 2022 NFL draft.
One area the green and white should look into is on the defensive side of the ball. With Robert Saleh leaning on such a heavy rotation in the trenches, he’ll need someone that can give him some juice both in run defense and getting after the opposing quarterback.
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A Very Interesting Proposition
Tommy Garrett of the Pro Football Network recently provided some predictions for where Jadeveon Clowney might end up in free agency.
Garrett name-dropped the Jets as a team to keep an eye on:
“What if Clowney is more interested in landing in the best scheme fit than going to a contender? After all, schemes are what set players up in the best situations, not the commas in a bank account. The New York Jets could fit the bill as Clowney has found success in 3-4 schemes and 4-3 hybrids like Robert Saleh uses. Saleh may want to double-down on this strength, allowing the Jets to keep fresh legs coming off the edge all game.”
The 29-year-old pass rusher is coming off of one of the best years of his career with the Cleveland Browns in 2021:
- Nine sacks
- 19 quarterback hits
- 37 combined tackles
“WHAT A HIT!”
On this day in 2013, @clownejd delivered the hit heard ’round the world against Michigan.
The former South Carolina product originally entered the league as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft by the Houston Texans. While he has never lived up to the billing of his draft status, Clowney has carved out a very nice NFL career for himself.
An Ideal Fit for What the Jets Wanna Do
Clowney is exactly the kind of player the Jets want to add on defense.
He has proven to be a very solid situational pass rusher (41 career sacks), but Clowney’s best trait is his ability in the run game. He is absolutely elite in that category and the Jets couldn’t stop a nosebleed last season.
According to Spotrac’s market value projections, Clowney was supposed to land a deal that paid him over $12.7 million annually on a multi-year deal. That figure would’ve made him the No. 16 highest-paid defensive end in the NFL.
However, he is still available in free agency and may be willing to take another one-year prove-it deal. That is the path he has taken over the last two seasons with the Browns and the Tennessee Titans respectively.
This would add some nice depth and star power to an already potent Jets defensive line. Clowney is scheme versatile and that could open up the doors of creativity for Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich on how to deploy him on Sundays.
Also adding another proven player like Clowney wouldn’t prevent the Jets from potentially dipping their toe in the EDGE rushing waters in April’s draft.
As a matter of fact, with the level of importance Saleh places on those guys, I’d be surprised if he doesn’t double-dip in that area next month.
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