CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – It took a year longer than Andrew Berry would’ve liked but on Wednesday he got his guy.
Jadeveon Clowney has signed with the Browns. The one-year deal is worth up to a reported $10 million with incentives.
Clowney, who entertained an offer from the Browns last season before ultimately signing a one-year, $13 million deal with Tennessee, visited on March 24 but left town without signing or agreeing to terms. He returned, passed his physical and put pen to paper Wednesday.
“We're excited to add Jadeveon to our defensive line,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “He's a disruptive force that will help us against the run and the pass. We've been able to make some nice additions to our defense throughout free agency and we are looking forward to getting to work, so we can improve our team.”
The addition of Clowney gives the Browns a pair of former No. 1 overall picks to anchor the edge of their defensive line. Last summer the Browns signed 2017 No. 1 overall pick Myles Garrett to a $125 million extension.
Clowney, a three-time Pro Bowler, completes an offseason overhaul of Cleveland’s defense by executive vice president of football operations and general manager Andrew Berry who added cornerback Troy Hill, safety John Johnson III, linebacker Anthony Walker, defensive tackle Malik Jackson and defensive end Takkarist McKinley.
“Jadeveon's had a very productive career since 2014. We love his relentless style of play,” Berry said. “He's one of the more disruptive players in the game and we think he's going to add an element of ruggedness along our defensive line and will pair nicely with many of the guys we have on the roster already. The other thing we love about Jadeveon is his versatility, his ability to play all across the front and impact the game regardless of his alignment.”
Clowney, who was selected No. 1 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft by Houston, suffered a torn meniscus that ended his 2020 season and limited him to eight games with the Titans.
Tennessee elected not to re-sign Clowney and instead spent big money on former Steelers edge rusher Bud Dupree this offseason, giving him a five-year, $82.5 million contract.
Over his seven-year career, Clowney has 74 starts under his belt that has seen him total 32.0 sacks, 255 tackles, 75 for loss and 86 QB hits, but he’s only had three sacks in his last two seasons.
“Jadeveon's play-to-play impact on the game, whether it's the run game as a rusher, lined up as a three-technique or lined up as an end, is something we really value,” Berry said. “We think he'll really be beneficial for us in our defensive system.”
The signing of Clowney will leave the Browns with under $4 million in salary cap space, meaning the team will have to release players or restructure contracts to make room for their draft class contracts.