Free agent Jadeveon Clowney has signed a one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns, it was announced Wednesday.
The deal is worth up to $ 10 million, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Clowney will get the chance to play against his fellow former no. 1 overall choice Myles Garrett.
“We are excited to add Jadeveon to our defensive line,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said in a statement. He is a disruptive force that will help us to run and succeed. We were able to make some additions to our defense throughout free agencies and we look forward to getting to work so we can improve our team. “
The 28-year-old Clowney visited with the Browns last month, sources told ESPN, but left Cleveland without an agreement. General manager Andrew Berry has also been pursuing strong ties with Garrett over the past season, but the three-time Pro Bowler has reportedly rejected Cleveland’s multi-year contract offer and eventually signed a one-year $ 13 million deal with the Tennessee Titans.
Clowney struggled with Tennessee in 2020 and finished in eight games with 19 tackles and zero sacks before ending a season in November. He underwent surgery in December and is expected to be in full health at the start of the 2021 season.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, Clowney has finished fifth in the NFL for the past three seasons with a pass rate of 25%. During the period, Garrett ranked third, 26%.
“We like his relentless style of play,” Berry said in a statement. “He’s one of the more disruptive players in the game, and we think he’s going to add an element of inflexibility to our defensive line and that he’s going to fit in nicely with a lot of the guys that we’ve already ranked. what we like about Jadeveon is his versatility, his ability to play across the front and have an impact on the game, regardless of his alignment. ‘
Cleveland already stepped up its pass-rush in the free agency last month and signed Takk McKinley for a one-year deal. McKinley struggled with injuries last season, but finished seventh in the winning streak in 2018, one place behind Clowney and four behind Garrett that season.
The No. 1 overall pick by the Houston Texans in 2014, Clowney can play any position along the defensive front, making him valuable to teams that want to be versatile. He is a disruptive player as an indoor forward or off the edge.
Clowney has 255 tackles (75 for a loss), 86 quarterback hits and 32 sacks in his seven seasons. During his career, he has suffered several knee injuries, in addition to groin, elbow, back and Lisfranc injuries.
The Browns now have three of the past seven overall No. 1 drafts on their rankings, including fullback Baker Mayfield.
ESPN’s Jake Trotter and Turron Davenport contributed to this report.