News has been sparse on the best edge defender hitting the open market as we barrel toward the new league year at 4 p.m. ET today. Jadeveon Clowney, the top player remaining on NFL.com's Top 101 free agents board, hasn't had his name bandied about as much as some other big-name players.
NFL Network's Mike Garafolo noted Wednesday that Clowney hasn't found the market he expected. The Seahawks' offer could be the best he'll get, Garafolo added.
Seattle has insisted it's wanted Clowney back but wasn't going to hit the stratosphere with the offer for the edge rusher.
The pass-rusher market mostly got wiped out by the franchise tag, leaving Clowney as the top prize in free agency. After the Colts gave up a premium first-round pick and a $21 million per-year deal for DeForest Buckner (who, to be fair, would have ranked higher than Clowney had he been a free agent), one would have expected Clowney's market to explode.
When healthy, Clowney can be a menace off the edge. He's brilliant against the run, and bullies tackles. Sure, his sack numbers might be lower than you'd expect for a top-of-the-line rusher, but he proved in Seattle last season he can disrupt a game and batter a QB.
Health could be playing a role in keeping Clowney's market from skyrocketing to where he expected. While he's overcome the early-career injury issues, he missed two games and battled through a core injury last season.
The NFL's current directive and restrictions on conducting physicals could be a big reason teams might be skittish on paying a truckload for Clowney without having their own medical personnel take a look.
While other defenders get their bag, Clowney might have to take a more patient approach if he wants to finally get that massive payday he's been seeking.
