Jadeveon Clowney's free-agent options could be shrinking.
NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported that at this point Clowney re-signing in Seattle appears a long shot.
"The Seahawks had a really strong offer to him," Garafolo said Tuesday on Sports Radio 950 KJR. "I don't know how many different kinds of offers there were, but I know there was a one-year offer, from what I'm told. You had me guess at it before and I think I guessed a little high. From my understanding, it was in the $15 million range. He's still looking in his eyes at $20 million. I know the Browns are involved. I don't know how intimately involved they are, but from the standpoint of the Seahawks trying to get him done, get him back, they felt like they couldn't wait anymore. I don't want to say that they're out on him because who knows what can happen. Clowney can change his mind and lower his price and who knows what. But I know that they had to move about to a couple of contingency plans with Benson Mayowa being one of them.
"I don't know that he's going to be back in Seattle. I would say that the chances are slim to none right now that he'll be back there. They certainly did whatever they could, and if they didn't have the strongest offer, they certainly had one that was extremely competitive. Nothing in the realm of what Clowney wants, but nobody's living in that realm right now, to be honest with you."
Garafolo noted that the Seahawks pursued multiple options in retaining Clowney, including multi- and one-year deals, but couldn't wait any longer to add a defensive end.
"Unless something drastically changes, I just don't see it happening," Garafolo said.
Seattle signed Mayowa to a one-year contract worth $3 million fully guaranteed with incentives pushing the deal to $4 million.
Clowney's free agency has been stymied by the NFL's restrictions on player physicals due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the edge rusher's injury history, teams are reluctant to give him a long-term deal with a ton of guaranteed money, especially without their own doctors checking him out.
The pass-rusher market had been slowed for weeks as teams waited for a move from Clowney. As the days tick off toward the draft, perhaps teams will move on to other fish in the pond, even if they aren't as dynamic a Clowney.
