Superstar defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is 100% on the trade block, a quick “Google” search reveals that much. According to Vinne Iyer (@vinnieiyer) of SportingNews.com, the Texans “seem to have reached a point of no return with Jadeveon Clowney”, and seeing as the deadline for long term deals for franchise-tagged players has come and gone, the possibility of Clowney ever suiting up in a Texans uniform again seems slim.
Clowney is what you call a “franchise star” when it comes to the NFL. A #1 overall pick back in 2014 for Houston, he has already accumulated 200+ tackles, 29 sacks, 67 QB hits, 5 forced fumbles, and a reputation as being one of the premier edge rushers in the entire league. Jadeveon knows his worth, hence why he’s holding out for a fat new contract. The Texans also know his worth, but due to some woeful roster management, they find themselves in a position where they pretty much have to trade the 26 year old.
This brings us to the Philadelphia Eagles. As our birds load up for what is expected to be another championship-yielding season, GM Howie Roseman has constructed what appears to be an ELITE roster. However, one position that seems noticeably weaker compared to prior seasons is in fact defensive end. After the departure of both Chris Long and Michael Bennett, it would make sense for Howie and the Eagles to at least explore a move for Jadeveon Clowney.
While a potential trade is complicated, the #Texans are willing to listen to offers for Jadeveon Clowney, per @AdamSchefter. Since Clowney hasn’t signed his franchise tender, he would have to approve any trade Houston agrees to.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 15, 2019
So, there’s three “things” to talk about when it comes to the possibility of a “Clowney-to-Philly” trade. 1) what would the Eagles offer, 2) would the Texans accept said offer, and c) would Howie pay Clowney the type of $$$ he wants. Given that there’s a lot of moving parts to this hypothetical blockbuster deal, I’d like to break them down in order.
Howie Roseman is the best general manager in football, and he LOVES building from the line up. So it’s no surprise that the Eagles have a surplus of talent on the offensive line. So much so that their starting LT when they won the Super Bowl in 2018 (Halapoulivaati Vatai aka Big V) is lined up to be a backup guard this season. Throw in the fact that they just drafted standout OT Andre Dillard, AND signed former Army star offensive lineman Brett Toth, the o-line appears to be the group where Howie would be subtracting from.
Would the Texans be interested in Big V? The answer is pretty simply “absolutely yes”. The Texans are a dysfunctional mess of a franchise that have done almost nothing in regards to protecting their *franchise* QB Deshaun Watson (I personally don’t think Watson is all that good but whatever). Acquiring a capable left tackle, specifically with experience winning, would appear to be their top priority at the moment. Big V just turned 26 and has shown a ton of promise as a legit starting OT in this league, if the birds threw in a 2nd-3rd round pick, this offer would easily be the best on the table for the Texans.
I’ll be surprised if Jadeveon Clowney isn’t traded. They need an upgrade at LT to protect Deshaun Watson. LTs don’t grow on trees so I have no idea who it would be at this time of year.
— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) August 13, 2019
Now to the third and final factor that plays into a Clowney-Eagles swap, and easily the most important: would Jadeveon find a long-term home in Philly? Due to the nature of how the franchise tag/lack of a long term deal worked out, Clowney is essentially playing on a one year contract, and he desperately wants out of Houston. At least in my opinion, he would jump at the idea of being on a Super Bowl contender in Philly, and would quickly push for an extension after the 2019 season. However, would Howie and the Eagles feel the same way?
Big V holds a ton of value as both a backup and a trade piece, and Howie reallyyy likes his draft picks. Given that it’s not really in Roseman’s nature to hand out huge paydays, it does seem highly unlikely that the Eagles inherently want to pay top-market cash to Jadeveon. However, at the same time Howie isn’t giving up multiple assets for a one-year rental. Roseman ONLY makes this move if he’s interested in shelling out 5 years/$100mil+ to Clowney after 2019.
The Eagles have the assets, and the Texans would give up Clowney for those assets in a heartbeat. The main hold-up here is simply down to how valuable the Eagles front office views Clowney past 2019. Will this trade go through? Probably not, but when it comes to football and the NFL, you simply never know. What I do know however is that having an athletic freak like Clowney lining up in Eagles green every Sunday sure would be fun…
Crush those resolutions like Jadeveon Clowney on New Year's Day. 💪 pic.twitter.com/KIGD9D2dIz
— ESPN (@espn) January 1, 2019
Twitter: @phillyinsider99
-David Esser via Philly Sports Insider
~stats via NFL.com~
~image via EaglesWire~