3 players Seahawks must sign after hiring Mike Macdonald as head coach

No. 3 - Seahawks should bring in edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney

Another slightly older player, but Clowney had arguably his best season since 2018 under Mike Macdonald's tutelage in 2023. Clowney received an elite pass-rush grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) this season while also being stout against the run once again. Clowney had 71 total quarterback pressures, including 9.5 sacks, but he also had 25 run stuffs. Clowney is the kind of versatile defensive player that Macdonald's defenses need.

This is why Clowney returning to Seattle where he played in 2019 makes sense. Clowney is a perfect fit in Macdonald's defense and he likely knows that. Macdonald has a way of simplifying his assignments and play calls that everyone seems to understand. One issue with Clowney in the past is that he missed assignments; that didn't happen in Baltimore this year.

Clowney also should not be extremely expensive. He does have an injury history and is about to turn 31 years old and he only made $4 million in 2023. Spotrac has Clowney's market value at $7.2 million in 2024, but that seems a bit high even for a player of Clowney's potential quality. No teams were willing to give Clowney that much money ahead of 2023 so it is unlikely that many teams would want to pay Clowney even more in 2024.

Clowney could also help his fellow edge rushers and defensive ends, such as Boye Mafe and Derick Hall, acclimate from Pete Carroll's defense to Macdonald's. While Clowney teaching other players how to do anything might seem odd, that also might be the reality if he signs with the Seahawks.

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