Voluntary pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney has signed a one-year contract with the Cleveland Browns, it was announced Wednesday.
The deal is worth up to $ 10 million, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Clowney gets the chance to thrive by playing against fellow former No. 1 overall choice Myles Garrett.
“We are delighted to add Jadeveon to our line of defense,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said in a statement. He is a disruptive force that will help us against flight and pass. We have been able to make some nice additions to our defense through free agency and we look forward to getting started so that we can improve our team. “
The 28-year-old Clowney visited the Browns last month, sources told ESPN, but left Cleveland without a deal. General manager Andrew Berry also heavily chased him to pair up with Garrett last season, but the three-time Pro Bowler reportedly turned down Cleveland’s multi-year contract offer and eventually signed a one-year $ 13 million deal with the Tennessee Titans.
Clowney wrestled with Tennessee in 2020, finishing with 19 tackles and zero sacks in eight games before sustaining a knee injury that ended the season in November. He had surgery in December and is expected to be fully healthy by the start of the 2021 season.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, Clowney has been ranked fifth in the NFL for the past three seasons with a 25% pass rush win rate. During that period, Garrett is in third place, with 26%.
“We love his relentless style of play,” Berry said in a statement. “He’s one of the more disruptive players in the game and we think he’ll add an element of robustness along our line of defense and fit in well with many of the guys we already have on the roster. The other thing we like about Jadeveon is his versatility, his ability to play at the front and influence the game regardless of his alignment. ”
Cleveland already beefed up its pass-rush into free agency last month, signing Takk McKinley on a one-year deal. McKinley struggled with injuries last season but was ranked seventh in pass-rush victory rate in 2018, one spot behind Clowney and four behind Garrett that season.
The No. 1 overall roster by the Houston Texans in 2014, Clowney can play any position along the defensive front, making him valuable for teams that want versatility. He is a disruptive player like an inward pass-rusher or coming off the edge.
Clowney has 255 tackles (75 for loss), 86 quarterback hits, and 32 sacks in his seven seasons. During his career, he has dealt with several knee injuries, in addition to groin, elbow, back and Lisfranc injuries.
The Browns now have three of the past seven No. 1 overall drafts in their roster, including quarterback Baker Mayfield.
ESPN’s Jake Trotter and Turron Davenport contributed to this report.