4. Titans sign Jadeveon Clowney
We’re now two months removed from the start of NFL free agency and one of the most heralded free agents is still on the open market. I still haven’t decided if this is the product of NFL teams learning not to overpay for pass rush or if they’re still too fixated on sack numbers and that’s why Clowney hasn’t been paid after registering just three sacks in 2019.
Clowney’s peripheral numbers are better — he finished second in ESPN’s pass-rush win rate metric — but there’s no denying that he has yet to develop into a consistently productive edge rusher. In order to get the most out of Clowney, you have to put him in positions where he can win with his athleticism and power alone, which is why I’ve picked out the Titans as an ideal landing spot.
It’s not a coincidence that Clowney’s most prolific season was in 2017 under Mike Vrabel, who served as Texans defensive coordinator before heading to Tennessee. Vrabel moved Clowney all around the front seven, playing him on the edge, at three-technique and even lining him up as a stand-up mike linebacker. Despite not playing a traditional pass rusher role, Clowney logged a career-high 9.5 sacks to go along with a pressure rate of 15.2%, per Sports Info Solutions. Vrabel’s pressure provided Clowney with easier matchups and natural leverage advantages that made blocking him even harder.
If any team is going to get their money’s worth out of Clowney it’s the Titans. And GM Jon Robinson has expressed interest in signing him. With $19 million in cap space, Tennessee has more than enough flexibility to make a deal.