It is now May 19th and former No. 1 overall selection Jadeveon Clowney is still a free agent as he is likely trying to get one more big contract before it is too late.
Clowney, who is 27, has underwhelmed in a big way since being selected No. 1 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. In fact, in six seasons in the league (75 games), he has just 32 sacks and has never hit double-digit sacks for a single season (His high was 9.5 in 2017).
That being said, Clowney is extremely athletic and still has the potential to get to the quarterback.
Because of that, Detroit Lions GM Bob Quinn should have his eye on Clowney as these days and weeks go by.
Here are 3 reasons why Quinn could have his eye on Clowney.
Win NOW mandate
Near the conclusion of the 2019 season, news broke that Lions owner Martha Ford had made the decision to bring back both Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia for the 2020 season. That being said, her mandate for Quinntricia is for the Lions to ‘contend for the playoffs’ in 2020. What exactly that means, we have no idea, but you can bet Quinn and Patricia will do whatever it takes to keep their jobs. If the price is right, adding a player like Clowney could help make that happen.
Must improve the pass rush
In 2019, the Detroit Lions had one of the worst pass rushes in the entire NFL and that is something that absolutely must change if they want to contend for the playoffs this coming season. Though Clowney has not lived up to the hype he had coming out of South Carolina, pairing him with Trey Flowers could be pretty exciting for the Lions and scary for opposing offenses.
Money to burn
The longer it goes, the better the chance that Clowney if forced to sign for a lower amount of money than he originally hoped for. Overspending for a player is absolutely NEVER a good idea but if Clowney’s asking price drops low enough, Bob Quinn needs to pounce. As it stands today, the Lions have just shy of $30 million in cap space, which ranks No. 3 in the NFL behind the Browns and Redskins. If the Lions want to make a move, they certainly have the money to do so.
Nation, if you were Bob Quinn, would you seriously consider signing Jadeveon Clowney?
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