Jadeveon Clowney has already had one spell with the Seattle Seahawks in his nomadic NFL career.

It didn't exactly go to plan. The Seahawks made the playoffs, losing in the divisional round, but Clowney was largely ineffective as a pass rusher, registering just three sacks.

However, as the Seahawks prepare for their first free agency period since parting company with longtime head coach Pete Carroll, there's reason to believe they could be interested in a reunion with the 2014 first overall pick.

Clowney spent last season with the Baltimore Ravens, playing for then defensive coordinator and now Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald.

As Josh Queipo And Kyle Dediminicantanio wrote in A to Z Sports' Top 105 free agent contract projections for the offseason, Clowney flourished under MacDonald.

"Clowney has found a version of the fountain of youth under defensive coordinator Mike MacDonald in Baltimore, setting a career high in pressures with 69 and logging his highest sack total (9.5) since his last year in Houston in 2018. 

This resurgence should help Clowney cash in yet again on another one year pact while getting him back to an eight figure payday."

A mutually beneficial move

For a team that has had trouble finding consistent contributors off the edge, there could be plenty of motivation to reunite MacDonald with Clowney in Seattle.

While Boye Mafe began to vindicate his status as a 2022 second-round pick with nine sacks in his second season, the Seahawks did not get the anticipated leap from Darrell Taylor. 

They do have Uchenna Nwosu, who missed much of last season due to injury, and another former second-round pick in Derick Hall, but it would be mutually beneficial for Seattle and the 31-year-old Clowney to have another experience edge defender who knows the system and who can be kept fresh by operating as part of a rotation.

A run defense fix

Beyond the scheme fit and his recent pass-rushing prowess, what should make Clowney most appealing to Seattle is his work in the run game. Clowney is an excellent edge-setter who last season ranked tied ninth among edge defenders (min. 100 run defense snaps) in the stop rate (the percentage of run defense snaps where he was responsible for a stop), per Pro Football Focus.

Clowney was responsible for a stop on 9.6 percent of his snaps. No Seahawks edge defender with at least 100 run defense snaps had a stop rate higher than 6.3% (Hall).

Last season, the Seahawks were the worst run defense in the NFL at defending outside or off tackle runs by Expected Points Added per attempt, per Sports Info Solutions.

Reuniting with Clowney would be a way to address that. The main barrier would be the cost, with Clowney projected to receive a one-year, $10.5 million contract. Seattle, per Over The Cap, is projected to be $5 million over an assumed salary cap of $242 million.

But, given the connection between player and head coach, there is potential for mutual interest. If that exists, the Seahawks would be extremely wise to give Clowney a second shot in Seattle.

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