The New York Jets “have never had serious interest” in free agent edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney, a man still on the market.
Thanks to the post-June 1 cut of Trumaine Johnson, the New York Jets have close to $25 million ($24.721 million) in cap space, per Over The Cap. It stands to reason Joe Douglas could do some damage prior to the season.
Why not Jadeveon Clowney? Well, for one, the Jets have yet to show serious interest in the free-agent edge rusher, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.
“While the Jets-Clowney speculation has lingered throughout the offseason, the truth is they have never had serious interest — and their position hasn’t changed even with $11 million in cap relief from Johnson,” Cimini wrote on Wednesday.
Clowney, 27, feels like a perfect fit into Gregg Williams’s defense. Not since John Abraham have the Jets employed a legit edge player who can get after the quarterback and play in space. Clowney—a man who’s racked up 32 sacks over 75 games—fits the need.
Knowing Joe Douglas, it makes sense why he would stay far, far away.
Douglas is all about value. Star power and winning the headlines is something better left for the general managers who lead disappointing teams the season after the splashy offseason. Clowney would demand a massive deal yet he hardly plays football.
He’s played in 75 of a possible 96 games (six-year NFL career) and has yet to tally double-digit sacks in any season. While he’d certainly help the defense in the here and now, how would that money impact the team over the life of the contract? To Douglas (and the cap-smart general managers), that makes a world of difference.
The other three players still lingering (now that Joe Flacco is in tow) are offensive guard Larry Warford, offensive tackle Jason Peters and cornerback Logan Ryan. With $25 million to spend, it would make sense to expect at least one veteran signing prior to the start of camp, but then again, this is Joe Douglas. Nobody knows what he’s thinking.
