Is Jadeveon Clowney a Good Fit for the Eagles?
Jadeveon Clowney left a sour taste in a lot of Eagle fan’s mouths after his hit on Carson Wentz during the Seattle-Philadelphia Wild Card game last season.
He laid a hit on Wentz when he was going to the ground from behind which upset many of the Eagles players.
Jason Peters went up to Clowney and told him it was a dirty hit. Most people believed the same thing that it was a dirty hit and unnecessary.
It would be easy to believe that Clowney would no longer be welcomed in Philadelphia after knocking Wentz out of the game resulting in an Eagles loss.
Could that all change?
Fox 26’s Mark Berman is reporting the Eagles are one of five teams that are interested in bringing in Clowney.
Going into the offseason, Clowney was looking in the range of $20 million per year as a free agent. The Seahawks and Titans have been the top two teams that have discussed bringing him in, but the speculation is the price is just too high to sign him. Back in March, it was reported that Clowney was dropping the asking price to about $17-18 million.
It appears the more he drops his price, the more teams are interested. Other teams include Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans, and the Seattle Seahawks.
Does It Make Sense for the Eagles to Bring Clowney In?
There is no denying the talent and skillset Clowney brings to the table. His pass-rushing abilities is scary for most offensive lines to deal with. Despite never hitting over ten sacks, he has still appeared in three Pro Bowls because he can do more than pressure the quarterback. He can disrupt the run and create turnovers which is something the Eagles need to do more often in the upcoming season. Putting Clowney alongside Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, and Derek Barnett would make the Eagles the best defensive line in the NFL. Can Clowney gel with the rest of the team though?
He potentially hurt a lot of relationships on the Eagles with his hit on Wentz and how he went about hitting him while Wentz was going to the ground. The Eagles offensive line will not forget that hit. Other players on the defense might be able to forgive him, but Philadelphia’s offensive players may not be as forgiving. Of course, it all comes down to how Wentz feels about bringing him here. It would be hard to believe that Wentz doesn’t hold that hit on a personal level. Wentz just got through a whole season starting 16 games and led the Eagles to the playoffs. To make it all the way there and take a devastating hit like that, it still has to hurt Wentz.
Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz wouldn’t be opposed to bringing him in as it gives his defense another weapon. The problem comes with the price. Bringing in a player for $17-20 million a year is a tough ask. Many people believe if he can drop the price to $15 million or lower a year, that will land him on a team.
Are the Eagles willing to pay the price to bring in one of the premier pass rushers in the league?
Well, they paid Cox and Graham good money and drafted Barnett in the first round so the Eagles have a history for thinking very highly of defensive linemen.
It might be a reach to bring him in, but it is a possibility that Philadelphia’s most hated defensive player might be wearing midnight green in 2020.
Featured Image: Julio Cortez/AP Photo
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