Ravens' Jadeveon Clowney Reunion Hinges on Key Questions

Jadeveon Clowney's time with the Baltimore Ravens may have been short, but it was definitely sweet.

Clowney, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, spent the 2023 season with the Ravens and tied his career-high with 9.5 sacks. He also led Ravens edge rushers in sacks, only finishing behind defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike for the team lead.

After the Carolina Panthers released Clowney last week, fans and pundits wondered if a reunion could be in the cards. For such a reunion to happen, though, The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec believes the Ravens will have to answer some tough questions.

"Ultimately, though, general manager Eric DeCosta’s decision on whether to pursue Clowney will come down to the Ravens’ evaluation of the young edge rushers on the roster," Zrebiec wrote. "Does the team believe one or two are primed for breakout years? Is there concern that adding Clowney, or even another ex-Raven free agent like Za’Darius Smith or Matthew Judon, would take snaps away from some combination of [Mike] Green, [Adisa] Isaac and [David] Ojabo, and to a lesser extent Robinson, who can move inside? Are the Ravens determined to get more out of the draft capital they’ve used on the position?"

"If the answer to any of those questions is yes, then it’s easy to see why the Ravens would have reservations about pursuing Clowney. As it is, even without Clowney, there probably is not room for more than five edge rushers on the regular-season roster."

Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh, who combined for 22.5 sacks last season, both have questions surrounding their futures, the former due to age and the latter due to his contract situation. The Ravens like what they've seen from 2023 fourth-round pick Tavius Robinson, who had 3.5 sacks last season, but he's still not exactly a proven commodity.

Then there's Ojabo, Isaac and Green, who will likely compete for snaps and maybe even a roster spot. Green, a second-round rookie from Marshall who fell due to off-field concerns, should see a good deal of action this season, but the other two are facing more questions.

Clowney could help the Ravens' pass rush in a big way, especially if he plays like he did in 2023, but his addition could only further complicate an already-crowded group. No matter which direction the Ravens decide to go in, they'll need to think long and hard about it.