Earlier today , Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports named the Cleveland Browns as a favorite to land star pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
It seems ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter disagrees with that assessment.
While speaking on the ESPN Cleveland program "The Next Level" on Wednesday afternoon, Schefter reported that the Browns have offered Clowney more money than any other suitors this offseason, and that the first pick of the 2014 NFL Draft would already be on the Cleveland roster if he was keen on putting pen to paper on a deal with the franchise:
Adam Schefter just told @ESPNCleveland Jadeveon Clowney would be with the #Browns if he wanted to be with them by now.
— Zac Wassink (@ZacWassink) May 27, 2020
Welp#NFL
.@AdamSchefter just told us that the Browns have offered Jadeveon Clowney the most money and he would be here already if he wanted to be in Cle.
— Emmett Golden (@egoldie80) May 27, 2020
Across 31 regular-season games with the Houston Texans in 2017 and 2018, Clowney accumulated 18.5 sacks, six fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles, and 42 quarterback hits.
Following a trade to the Seattle Seahawks ahead of the 2019 campaign, Clowney tallied three sacks, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, an interception, 21 solo tackles, and 13 QB hits in 13 regular-season appearances.
While the Browns have the cap space to pay Clowney for 2020, Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry has claimed he's committed to paying both defensive end Myles Garrett and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to keep them through the first half of the decade.
Perhaps Clowney has done the math and doesn't see a long-term home in Northeast Ohio, or maybe the franchise's lack of success throughout the 2000s is scaring him away from making what Schefter reports to be the best financial decision available to the 27-year-old this spring.
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