Aaron Rodgers said it himself: The New York Jets’ trade for Davante Adams shows they are “all-in.”
The Jets badly needed an all-in move to spark their struggling offense. However, while the Jets’ offense has certainly been a far bigger problem than their defense, the latter has its own holes that need patching if the team is truly all-in.
In particular, the Jets must do something about their softness against the run. New York ranks a dismal 25th in rush defense DVOA.
There are many culprits for the Jets’ struggles against the run. One of the chief issues is the abysmal edge-setting. New York’s edge defenders are doing an awful job of preventing runners from getting outside.
The Jets’ EDGE unit – comprised of Micheal Clemons (94 run defense snaps), Will McDonald (90), Takk McKinley (52), Jermaine Johnson (35), Eric Watts (16), and Braiden McGregor (12) – has combined for a composite Pro Football Focus run defense grade of 43.5. That is the worst mark of any EDGE unit in the NFL. No other unit is below 50.0, and the league average is 62.9.
Simply put, New York does not have a single competent edge-setter on the roster. They had an elite one in Jermaine Johnson, but he’s done for the season. Last year, they had a very sturdy edge-setting presence in John Franklin-Myers, but he was inexplicably jettisoned to Denver for a 2026 sixth-round pick (a baffling move that does not get criticized enough). Haason Reddick would help, as he is generally considered an average run defender, but he’s still on his couch.
If the Jets want to maximize their chances of competing in 2024, they should make a move to address their glaring lack of toughness against the run, specifically on the edge. That brings us to the Carolina Panthers.
On Friday afternoon, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Panthers have released 33-year-old cornerback Troy Hill as they attempt to “go younger.”
Sitting at 1-5 with a league-worst -100 point differential, the Panthers are going nowhere fast. The release of Hill, coupled with Rapoport’s tidbit that they are trying to “go younger,” hints that Carolina could be looking to sell ahead of the November 5 trade deadline. If that is the case, the Jets should give them a call about one veteran player in particular.
This offseason, the Panthers signed 11th-year edge defender Jadeveon Clowney to a two-year, $20 million contract ($12M guaranteed). Clowney has always been best known for his run defense, and even at 31 years old, the 266-pounder remains a solid player in that phase.
In five games this season, Clowney has a 68.0 run defense grade at PFF, ranking 26th out of 83 qualified edge defenders (min. 150 snaps). He has made 11 tackles against the run, and in the meantime, he is yet to be credited for a missed tackle against the run. This gives him the fifth-most run-game tackles without a miss among edge defenders, trailing only Sam Hubbard (24), Matt Judon (15), Harold Landry (15), and Brian Burns (14).
As an added bonus, Clowney still generates consistent pressure as a pass rusher, which is another area of need for the Jets. Clowney ranks 18th out of 83 qualified edge defenders with a 14.4% pressure rate. He struggles to finish, only boasting one sack this season, but that’s not a huge issue for the Jets, who are already tied for third in sacks. What they lack is another consistent source of edge pressure besides Will McDonald, and Clowney can offer that.
If the Panthers are truly entering “sell” mode, then Clowney is one of the most attractive pieces the team has to offer. He does not offer long-term value to Carolina’s rebuild, but he would be an intriguing pickup for win-now teams like the Jets, making him the perfect piece to facilitate a trade.
Jets general manager Joe Douglas already has a history of dealing with Carolina. He traded Sam Darnold to the Panthers for three draft picks in 2021; there was a different GM in Carolina at the time, but current GM Dan Morgan was the Panthers’ assistant GM. On the second day of the 2024 draft, New York traded up seven spots with Carolina to select Malachi Corley.
There are more ties between the two teams. Morgan and Panthers head coach Dave Canales both overlapped in Seattle with Jets head coach Jeff Ulbrich for two seasons (2010-11). Ulbrich was the Seahawks’ assistant special teams coach, Canales was the wide receivers coach, and Morgan was a scout before being promoted to assistant director of pro personnel. Additionally, the Jets and Panthers held joint practices together in each of the past two seasons.
It would not be shocking if Clowney is on the block, as his name has come up in trade rumors recently. NFL insider Mike Sando of The Athletic named Clowney among players who could be targeted by the Detroit Lions in the wake of Aidan Hutchinson’s season-ending injury.
Clowney missed the Panthers’ Week 6 loss with a shoulder injury and is listed as doubtful to return in Week 7 after being limited in practice on Friday. However, looking at Carolina’s injury report, it’s fair to wonder whether the Panthers are playing it overly safe with their veteran players as they entertain trade offers in the coming weeks.
Linebacker Josey Jewell, offensive tackle Taylor Moton, and defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson – all aged 29 and up – will be out this week after playing and starting a combined 15-of-18 possible games so far. This is mere speculation, but after Jets fans saw Davante Adams miss three games amidst trade rumors only to be immediately ready to play post-trade, it’s not far-fetched to suggest the Panthers are being cautious with nicked-up players they view as potentially valuable trade pieces.
Clowney would bring an immediate jolt of toughness to a Jets defensive line that badly needs it. His formidable edge-setting is a skill New York doesn’t have on the roster with Jermaine Johnson sidelined. This defense has plenty of speed and finesse, but the “nasty” isn’t there right now, and Clowney offers it in spades.
Joe Douglas shouldn’t stop at Adams if he is pushing all of his chips in the middle of the table for 2024. It would be devastating if the Jets finally figured things out offensively, only for it to be wasted because the depleted defense fell off a cliff. Douglas must be honest when evaluating the roster, which means admitting that the defensive line is not close to as talented as it was when it achieved its elite success in 2022 and 2023. If he doesn’t do anything about it, the defense is bound to decline.
We don’t know if the Panthers are actually interested in dealing Clowney, but giving them a call should be a no-brainer for the Jets.
