We’re over a week into free agency and for the most part, the names we thought would be gone by now are. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t quality players stills on the open market ready to be snatched up by a needy roster.
The Baltimore Ravens have lost a ton of talent, but also already replaced some of it.
April’s NFL Draft will give teams a further opportunity to add names and fill in key positions on both sides of the ball. But before then, existing free agents hope to find homes.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell projected the best team fits for 20 still-unsigned free agents recently, and Jadeveon Clowney appeared on the list.
Jadeveon Clowney, EDGE
2023 team: Baltimore Ravens
Why he’s still available: A significant injury history and inconsistent play have kept Clowney from landing multiyear deals. After the 2014 No. 1 pick played out his rookie deal and fifth-year option with the Texans, Bill O’Brien franchised-tagged him before trading him to the Seahawks. Clowney has played out one-year deals with the Seahawks, Titans and Browns, where a productive 2021 season didn’t produce the same effects after he inked another single-season pact in 2022.
Why he should be signed: Last year, Clowney was a free agent until August, when the Ravens brought him in on a one-year, $2.5 million deal. He responded with an impressive season, with 9.5 sacks and 19 knockdowns as the lead edge rusher on one of the league’s best defenses. He also produced his second full season as a pro and his first since 2017.
Best fit: Miami Dolphins. It’s tough to imagine the 31-year-old landing a multiyear guarantee this late into free agency, but Clowney shouldn’t be forced to wait until August for a new deal. Given his history of knee issues, he might be better off playing on a natural grass field; indeed, his past few deals have been with the Titans, Browns and Ravens, all of whom play on natural grass.
The Ravens should consider bringing Clowney back after impressing last season. There’s also the matter of how happy Clowney appeared at the end of the season, as told by Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who ran across Clowney’s agent at the NFL Scouting Combine.
“I just ran into the agent for Jadeveon Clowney,” Harbaugh told baltimoreravens.com’s Garrett Downing in an interview at the combine. “Just walking in the street and he grabbed me and I said, I told him I loved him. I [asked], ‘What do you think? How’d he do this year?’ And he goes, ‘This is the first year he’s ended the season happy.’ That says so much right there. It says so much for everything, for everybody in the organization. Maybe we can get him back. We’re going to try.”
Clowney, himself, indicated at the end of the season he enjoyed playing football again in Baltimore.
“Like I said, I enjoyed coming to work. It made my life a lot easier this year,” Clowney said at locker room cleanout. “That’s probably why I played at a high level because I [didn’t] have any pressure. I would just come in, have fun and be yourself and just play ball.”
