If we have learned anything from the 2019 offseason, it’s that Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden are going to be aggressive in free agency and via trades. With a ton of cap space, we can expect the Raiders will target one or two “big name” veterans in March.
One player the team could target is defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March. While the Seahawks did trade for Clowney before the 2019 season, he is expected to test the free-agent market.
In a recent piece by Pro Football Focus, Clowney was named the seventh-best available free agent in 2020 and the No. 1 defensive end target. Take a look at why PFF believes he could be in for a massive payday in a few months:
Clowney put up an 88.0 overall grade in 2018 — the highest mark of his career — and he followed up with an 87.3 grade after a trade to the Seahawks despite seeing his sack total drop from nine to three. Clowney has the 11th-best overall grade among all edge defenders since 2017, including the third-best mark against the run (91.3), but his pass-rush grade of 83.9 ranks just 25th among that same group.
While the Raiders are undoubtedly optimistic about their young defensive ends in Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby, the team lacks the superstar edge rusher that demands extra attention on every snap. Defensive line coach Rod Marinelli loves using waves of pass-rushers, but he’s always had one stud who does the heavy lifting as a pass rusher.
Targeting Clowney would seem kind of odd, considering the team didn’t pay Khalil Mack when he was holding out for an extension. But in this scenario, the Raiders would still get their elite edge rusher as well as acquiring two first-round picks.
Clowney is going to want to be paid like a star edge rusher, and he deserves it. If the Raiders are going to spend money in free agency, they might as well target elite players. Clowney should be on the shortlist of players the team visits with on the first day of free agency. If the Raiders were able to pull off the signing of Clowney, the Khalil Mack trade would look all the better for Jon Gruden.
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