NFL Rumors: Browns Gave Jadeveon Clowney The ‘Richest Offer On The Table,’ Per Adam Schefter
While there have been no surefire indications to hint that Jadeveon Clowney’s free-agency saga will be ending soon, the latest update on the yet-unsigned defensive end suggests that the Cleveland Browns have apparently presented the best offer so far for the yet-unsigned edge rusher.
Quoting ESPN’s Adam Schefter from his appearance Wednesday on ESPN Cleveland’s The Next Level, his colleague, Jake Trotter, tweeted that afternoon that the Browns may have made the “most aggressive” financial deals in the Clowney sweepstakes.
“I just think he has balked at going to Cleveland for whatever reason. I think he’s been hesitant to go because if he wasn’t, he would’ve gone already because it’s the most money. It’s the richest offer on the table and he hasn’t taken it.”
Schefter was also quoted as saying that there may be multiple reasons why Clowney hasn’t accepted the Browns’ supposed contract offer, including a possible lack of interest in playing in Cleveland or a “lack of belief” in the organization. However, he stressed that even with these concerns in mind, it’s still far from clear whether or not the edge rusher will change his mind and join the Browns.
It's all about hardware at this point for @clownejd pic.twitter.com/QQYqRcyZ9I
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) January 13, 2020
The new development on Clowney comes just a few days after Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson appeared on The Pat McAfee Show (via YouTube) and told the former NFL punter that he believes the Browns are the frontrunner for the three-time Pro Bowler’s services. As he explained around the 40-second mark of the video, Cleveland has a “ton of cap space” to spend on Clowney, who could potentially team up with Myles Garrett and give the Browns an even more formidable pass-rushing presence.
At the moment, however, it appears that Clowney is willing to bide his time and wait until later in the offseason before signing a new deal. As quoted by Bleacher Report, The Athletic’s Jay Glazer wrote earlier this month that the former Seattle Seahawks star is, much like ex-Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, apparently willing to wait a little longer so that teams could have their medical staffs ready to make sure players are in top shape.
“If they are deemed fully healthy, that helps their market,” he added.
Although Clowney has consistently performed well when healthy, he has battled injuries consistently across his NFL career and has only played one full 16-game schedule in six seasons as a pro. In 13 regular-season games for the Seahawks last year, the former No. 1 overall draft pick tallied 31 tackles, three sacks, four forced fumbles, and one interception.
