Five edge rushers Seattle Seahawks should sign this offseason

Jadeveon Clowney

The Seahawks already know what to expect from Jadeveon Clowney. He played one season with Seattle in 2019 and was very good. He didn’t put up a bunch of sack numbers (3) but no one could have watched Clowney nearly single-handedly destroy the 49ers offense in Week 10 of that year and thought Clowney wasn’t very good. It was a phenomenal performance and among the best of that year by any edge rusher (5 quarterback hits, a forced fumble and fumble recovery and sack).

The issue with Clowney has always been that he doesn’t stay healthy for a full season. But in 2021 he came pretty close to that as he played in 14 games for the Cleveland Browns and had 9 sacks and 19 quarterback hits. Clowney now has three seasons of 19 or more quarterback hits and three seasons of 9-plus sacks in the NFL. It is almost difficult to believe he is still just 28 years old.

But what makes Clowney truly unique is his ability to collapse a run game from the outside in. This improves every aspect of the defensive line. Clowney requires opposing offenses to account for him as a run and pass defender which frees other players to be better. Poona Ford will likely get more interior pressure on opposing quarterbacks, for instance, if Clowney is on the team.

Clowney seems to take one-year deals at this point having signed them in the last three seasons. But Seattle should offer him $15 million for 2022. Adding Clowney coupled with Carlos Dunlap would give Seattle its two best bookends on a defensive line since Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril played for Seattle.