The Carolina Panthers released veteran EDGE Jadeveon Clowney on Thursday, adding another big name to the free agent pool. Clowney has been a frequent, popular object of Lions fans’ affection over the years, and now that he’s available once again, it’s worth exploring if Detroit would make a nice match for the No. 1 overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft.
I’ve covered Clowney twice in his career, in his Houston peak (2016-2018) and again in Cleveland (2021-2022), where he followed a great year with a decidedly underwhelming second year. He’s had an interesting career, starting out with a brutal knee injury in his first game that derailed all the momentum from his spectacular college era at South Carolina. From three straight Pro Bowls in those Houston years, topping out with 9.5 sacks and 59 tackles in 2017.
He’s since entered journeyman status; his next team will be his seventh in the last eight seasons. Clowney bagged 5.5 sacks and 46 tackles in his one season in Carolina, starting 14 games as a stand-up pass-rush specialist for the Panthers.
Clowney is still an effective complementary EDGE presence, something he proved once again in his one year in Carolina. When J.J. Watt or Myles Garrett, both perennial All-Pros, were lined up on the other side, Clowney was an effective balance, a power-oriented played with enough two-step quickness to make offenses pay for overcommitting to the superstar. When Clowney was forced to be the progenitor of the pass rush, the lack of speed and inability to reliably get off a block–especially when aligned inline–turned off any notion that he was a forceful player.
The Lions don’t need Clowney to be an alpha dawg. That’s Aidan Hutchinson, who should be back healthy. The thing is, Detroit also doesn’t lack for a veteran in that role. The Lions brought back Marcus Davenport to be that guy, and Davenport–when healthy–has been quite effective. Davenport is bigger, quicker and a better finisher in the backfield than Clowney, at least most of the time. Davenport is also a strong fit into the Dan Campbell/Brad Holmes culture. The same is true of Za’Darius Smith, who played well in extenuating circumstances in Detroit last year and remains in town while a free agent.
It’s not that Clowney wouldn’t fit into the Lions locker room. From my experiences, Clowney is not a problem or someone who looks to rock the boat. For Detroit, the 32-year-old would be worth an incentive-laden, one-year contract with no guarantees, financial or otherwise. But I’d make absolutely sure Za’Darius Smith was out of the equation first.
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Jadeveon Clowney released: Should the Lions have interest in the veteran EDGE?
Reporting by Jeff Risdon, Lions Wire / Lions Wire
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