Ravens tried to pull off sign-and-trade deal for Jadeveon Clowney

The Baltimore Ravens looked at having another team initially sign Jadeveon Clowney to trade him to them.

The Baltimore Ravens had some interest in free-agent outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney. However, Clowney decided to go with the Tennessee Titans on a one-year deal worth $15 million. But had the NFL allowed a sign-and-trade deal, the Ravens would have netted Clowney.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk and confirmed by Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Ravens and New Orleans Saints were looking to pull off a deal where another team — the Jacksonville Jaguars in Baltimore’s case — would have initially signed Clowney only to trade him. The move would have freed up the necessary cap space for New Orleans or Baltimore to make the move but the NFL wouldn’t authorize the move according to Florio.

This somewhat contradicts a previous report that Clowney wanted to go to the Ravens but Baltimore wasn’t very interested.

The Ravens didn’t address the position this offseason, using free agency to revamp their defensive line and the 2020 NFL Draft to bolster their linebacker corps. Clowney would have been an immediate upgrade opposite the franchise-tagged Matthew Judon.

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