Who will sign Jadeveon Clowney?

By: Jake Rajala

The highly gifted edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney was released from the Carolina Panthers a month ago. He will have many suitors, as he isn’t washed up, and he can move around the DL. With that said, I believe the New Orleans Saints have to be on top of his wishlist. Sure, they may not make it to the Super Bowl, but he can rotate with Carl Granderson, Chase Young, and Cameron Jordan! He will stay fresh, to say the least. Clowney got the same amount of sacks as Granderson and Young. In 2023, Clowney registered 9.5 sacks – which tied a career high. He also has had 30 combined QB hits over the prior two seasons.

There is a risk with signing a free agent, whether it’s Clowney or Drew Brees. Clowney has injury issues. He missed three games last season, five games in 2022, and three games in 2021, and nine games in 2020. He would often miss 2-3 games prior to 2020, as well.

The Saints ranked 19th in sacks last season, so there’s clearly room for improvement. If they want to mow down the young QBs in their division (Bryce Young, Michael Penix Jr.) they can do so with Clowney joining the show. Chase Young has also been on a roller coaster, so it would be nice to have more stability at DE.

The Saints have the cap space to make a signing like this. They rank 13th in cap space. They have saved their money to make a splash signing. This is their time! Clowney has Pro Bowl talent if he can stay healthy. He should stay more fresh with the Saints than he’s ever had in his career.

If Clowney doesn’t like the fit, he may chase a Lombardi trophy with an elite team, such as the Philadelphia Eagles. This makes sense, especially after Philly shipped away Bryce Huff. He may even want to join the KC Chiefs and chase down the QB alongside the best DT in the game: Chris Jones.