Seahawks: Three defensive linemen that Seattle should sign today

Jadeveon Clowney

I get that the Seahawks may have moved on from trying to bring back Jadeveon Clowney, but the simple facts remain that Clowney is still a free agent and Seattle still has money they can spend. Why not spend it on Clowney and instantly make the Seahawks a real contender?

Maybe Seattle only signs Clowney for one year? With the salary cap expected to go down to $175 million next year due to all the financial issues with playing a season during a pandemic, singing Clowney for the short-term would be OK. If Clowney comes in and plays one season, that might be long enough for young guys like Darrell Taylor and L.J. Collier to marinate a bit longer so that they can cook in 2021.

Clowney isn’t going to sign anywhere for $15-18 million. But Seattle could bring him in at around $13 million and maybe that would be enough to entice Clowney to sign. For the record, Clowney, even though he isn’t a pure pass rusher, still had the 19th-highest grade of edge rushers in 2019, according to Pro Football Focus.

Plus, Clowney would not have to be Seattle’s sole source of quarterback pressures, something that he shouldn’t have had to do last year. With the additions of Bruce Irvin and others, Clowney will have help this year. That should actually make him an even better player as he can use his versatility more. And the Seahawks would be better off for it.