3 overrated free agents still available Seahawks must avoid

Seattle needs to avoid defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (PFF rank: 41)

Jadeveon Clowney is physically capable of doing anything asked of him whether he is playing defensive end or edge rusher. At 31 years old and even after many injuries, he still has great athletic ability. He can also play the run extremely well and get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. While all that sounds like the Seahawks should sign Clowney, that is simply his potential.

The fact is that every other season, Clowney underperforms. 2024 would be that every other season. In 2020, he played eight games and had zero sacks with only 4 tackles for loss, and then in 2021, he played in 14 and had 9 sacks and 11 tackles for loss. In 2022, he played in 12 games (missing five) and had 2 sacks and 4 tackles for loss and this past season he played in all 17 games with 9.5 sacks and 9 tackles for loss.

That trend would suggest Clowney is due to a down-season. He has mostly only signed one-year deals since 2019 (when he played for Seattle) and assuming he does that again next season, then any team adding Clowney should assume a boom or bust year.

While it is true Clowney was fantastic under Mike Macdonald in 2023 when Macdonald was his defensive coordinator with the Ravens, Clowney also had more talent around him in Baltimore than he would with Seattle. That means he would have greater importance to any potential defensive success. Seattle simply cannot afford to take that chance.