The Tennessee Titans went into the offseason needing to bolster their pass-rush after it was the biggest cause of their demise in the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs last season.
They have now done so in a big way with the addition of Jadeveon Clowney, who will be added to what looks like an impressive group of pass-rushers at EDGE that includes Harold Landry and Vic Beasley.
While his sack totals (32 in 75 career games) aren’t exactly eye-opening, they don’t tell the whole story of just how disruptive the former No. 1 overall pick can be.
According to Next Gen Stats (per ESPN), Clowney finished fifth in the NFL in Pass Rush Win Rate (how frequently a defender beats his blocker in 2.5 seconds or less) last season, coming in at 24.8 percent.
Over the past two seasons, only one defender in the NFL has a higher mark than Clowney’s 26.5 percent Pass Rush Win Rate.
Over the last 2 seasons, Jadeveon Clowney has the 2nd-highest pass rush win rate in the NFL (beating his blocks in 2.5 seconds 26.5%), according to ESPN's pass rush metrics powered by NFL Next Gen stats. #Titans
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) September 5, 2020
Adding to that, the 27-year-old is the kind of impact player who will draw extra attention from opposing offenses, which can open things up for the rest of the players around him.
His mere presence alone should make things easier for Landry and Beasley, and even defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons, all of whom could see more one-on-one matchups when Clowney is on the field.
But Clowney’s impact is more than just about his pass-rush ability; the Titans are also getting an elite run defender in the South Carolina product.
As Pro Football Focus noted, Clowney’s run defense grade of 91.6 since he entered the league in 2014 is the second highest among all EDGE defenders. He has notched an impressive 65 tackles for loss or no gain in that span, the fourth most in the NFL.
Versatility is also a big part of Clowney’s game. The Titans can deploy him at outside linebacker and along the defensive line, which will help cover for the team trading away Jurrell Casey.
As far as his contract is concerned, it’s a good one. Clowney will get a base salary of $12 million, but the deal could go as high as $15 million if he hits incentives.
That’s a pretty big victory for Tennessee considering reports had Clowney seeking anywhere from $15 to $20 million annually. He had also reportedly turned down multiple offers of $15 million or more from other teams.
Of course, injury history will always be a concern with Clowney, however the Titans aren’t taking on much risk here with the deal being for just one season.
So, if Clowney struggles and/or has injury issues, he’ll likely be gone after one season. If he dominates the way he did in 2017 when head coach Mike Vrabel was his defense coordinator, the Titans could bring him back for the long haul.
Another concern is his ability to get acclimated in time to be ready for Week 1. Thankfully, Clowney has experience in Vrabel’s system as we just noted, so he should be able to get up to speed rather quickly.
When you break it all down, Clowney is a major upgrade for the Titans’ defense, both in the pass-rush and against the run, and he’s working on a reasonable deal that doesn’t carry much risk. It’s hard to call this move anything less than a home run for general manager Jon Robinson and Co.
Grade: A
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