With Melvin Ingram’s future with the Chargers up in the air, the team will likely be looking for his potential replacement this offseason.
One option that Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton likes to fill the possible void is Titans’ Jadeveon Clowney.
Los Angeles can replace Ingram, a three-time Pro Bowler, with a younger player who has the same accolades in Clowney.
Although Leonard Floyd seems like a logical fit with the Chargers because of his breakout 2020 season under Staley with the Los Angeles Rams, Clowney is six months younger with a more decorated resume.
General manager Tom Telesco should consider Clowney an alternative to Floyd if he wants an edge-rusher who can also provide top-notch run support for a defense that ranked 18th against ground attacks this past year.
After signing a one-year deal with Tennessee, Clowney only recorded 19 tackles, 22 quarterback hurries, six pressures, four passes defensed, and a forced fumble during eight starts — before being placed on injured reserve with a season-ending knee injury.
Clowney was Pro Football Focus’ 19th best edge defender with a 74.9 overall grade overall in 2020.
Prior to his stint in Nashville, TN, the first overall selection of the 2014 NFL draft, Clowney spent five seasons with the Texans and one with the Seahawks.
While he has flashed dominance here and there, he has failed to live up to the hype coming out of South Carolina, playing 16 games just once in seven years due to a string of injuries.
On top of that, the 28-year old has never had a double-digit sack season in his career and has had just three sacks in his last 19 NFL starts
Los Angeles, who has the ninth-most salary cap space available, could easily afford him. According to Spotrac‘s market value projection tool, Clowney could sign a one-year, $6.5 million deal, which is nearly half of what he made in 2020 with the Titans.
Will they want to? That ultimately becomes the question.
While Clowney fits head coach Brandon Staley’s scheme, I believe the Bolts would rather sign someone who’s been more productive and most importantly, is more durable, like Leonard Floyd, Von Miller, Bud Dupree, among others. Or, they might elect to go the route of drafting one.
Either way, with a need at edge defender, nothing is off the table.