Texans Free Agency: What about former No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney?
When the Houston Texans drafted defensive end Jadeveon Clowney with the number one overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, fans expected a franchise player that would haunt opposing quarterbacks for over a decade. But that never happened for many reasons. And at the core of the whole thing was that Clowney simply didn't live […]
When the Houston Texans drafted defensive end Jadeveon Clowney with the number one overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, fans expected a franchise player that would haunt opposing quarterbacks for over a decade.
But that never happened for many reasons. And at the core of the whole thing was that Clowney simply didn't live up to the hype of a No. 1 pick.
That isn't to say the Texans didn't get a valuable pass rusher. They did. But the expectations set by the guy with one of the coldest hits in college football bowl history never materialized into an All-Pro caliber career.
Just once in his career did he receive second-team All-Pro honors in 2016, when he got six sacks. Clowney has never accumulated 10 sacks in his nine years in the NFL.
For better or worse, the Texans parted ways with him in 2019 after getting three straight Pro Bowl seasons from him. Since then, the former South Carolina Gamecock has had three stops around the NFL: Seattle, Tennessee, and Cleveland.
He's become somewhat of a one-year-deal mercenary and is now evaluating where to play next. This brings me to the reason I'm recounting the story of Clowney here and now: The Texans should target Clowney and bring him back to Houston.
Although the Texans have already spent money to improve their defensive line, you can never have enough defensive ends in the NFL. Especially after you lost somebody like Ogbonnia Okoronkwo in free agency.
Clowney is an inexpensive option at the position that can provide high-level play when healthy. But it's precisely his injury history that has knocked his value down just enough to be worth it. The Texans can likely get him for a figure close to $10 million.
"Clowney still flashes his tantalizing No. 1 overall pick talent just enough to make him an intriguing option for many teams," writes Pro Football Focus in their free agency rankings, where the former Texan is currently ranked as the second-best available free agent. "Clowney – always a stout run defender and strong edge setter – also missed just 7.4% of potential tackles, his first season below 12.5% since 2016."
A reunion with him could help DeMeco Ryan's defense in big, big ways. It could also provide some closure for fans that were unhappy with the way things played out with Clowney.
Five years of play out of a former No. 1 pick isn't how things are supposed to go. I'd love to see the Texans make an offer and make things right.
