How Jadeveon Clowney and the Seattle Seahawks could reunite in free agency

How Jadeveon Clowney and the Seahawks Reunited in an Independent Agency originally appeared on NBC Sports Northwest

The Jadeveon Clowney watch was one of the biggest storylines of the 2020 NFL season.

After the Seattle Seahawks swapped the Star Pass Rusher in 2019, Clowney, looking for a nice payday – $ 20 million per season according to ESPN – didn’t land the fat paycheck he was looking for.

Rather than signing again with Seattle, which was bidding somewhere in the $ 16 million range to keep its services, Clowney agreed to a one-year deal with the Tennessee Titans worth up to $ 15 million last season.

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It’s been a disappointing 2020 campaign for the former number 1 who hasn’t registered a single sack in eight games and underwent knee surgery at the end of the season.

We are in the free agency for four days and Clowney is still on the big board among the best unsigned players. The Seahawks cut Carlos Dunlap to create a $ 14.1 million cap space, meaning they could still target Dunlap for less money or opt for a different defensive ending to fill his void to fill.

Enter Clowney.

For starters, Clowney already knows the Seahawks’ defense scheme because he was a part of it. In Seattle, he was one of the NFL’s toughest defenders, having made 11 starts in 13 games 31 tackles (seven for the loss), three sacks (13 quarterback hits), four forced fumbles (two recovery) and one interception for a touchdown (three pass breakups).

After a less than impressive 2020 season with the Titans, Clowney shouldn’t expect to close a deal worth more than $ 10 million a year. That would be $ 4 million less than what Dunlap was supposed to do to Seattle this season. Though Dunlap could cut his price to get a deal working now that he’s a free agent.

However, there is no guarantee that Dunlap, who produced 5.0 sacks and 14 quarterback hits in just eight games, will play another game in a Seahawks uniform.

The story goes on

The same goes for Clowney. The 28-year-old’s biggest problem is his longevity. Since 2014, the three-time pro bowler has undergone numerous operations on his knees. With Seattle, Clowney had a sports hernia and was successfully operated on in February 2020 to repair the core muscle injury.

[RELATED: Seahawks ‘were in it whole time’ for Jadeveon Clowney]

Then, last November, Clowney was taken to an injured reserve and operated on to repair his left meniscus.

Clowney could sign a year-long proof-it deal in Seattle to remind the NFL that he’s still the wrecking ball he once was. However, this bridge has not yet been crossed.