Browns have checked in on Jadeveon Clowney

The Cleveland Browns have reportedly shown interest in former Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.

A bit of unexpected news made the rounds Saturday. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Cleveland Browns have expressed some level of interest in Jadeveon Clowney.

The interesting part of Fowler’s report is that Cleveland was closer to what Jadeveon Clowney is seeking contract wise. Clowney was reportedly seeking somewhere in the $20 million per year range which is just outrageous. Even his lowered number he is looking for ($17 million) seems to be a bit much for Clowney.

Jadeveon Clowney is a good, not great player. There always seems to be more flash than substance to him. If this was just about any other player there would not be the hype that followed this rumor. If a player with his profile was available in free agency and was not a number one overall pick, Browns fans would not be clamoring for another high profile acquisition. The fact of the matter is that signing someone at a position that is not an immediate need would be an avenue that Andrew Berry’s departed predecessor would do.

The Browns have plenty of other needs that they simply ignored for some reason. If they were to go out and sign Jadeveon Clowney after playing games with some of their now departed players it would be infuriating. Cleveland still needs multiple linebackers. They still need at least one safety. There are very few players on the defensive side of the ball that can be pointed to as long term solutions. There are other positions that desperately need to be addressed instead of acquiring another expensive defensive end.

With the large amount of money required to sign Jadeveon Clowney paired with the constant knee issues, this looks like a bad deal waiting to happen. Maybe he avoids the injury bug and stays healthy throughout his next contract. The problem is that his injury history points towards Clowney missing time at one point or another.