Jadeveon Clowney

Recapping the New York Jets’ first day of free agency

by
New York Jets, Adam Gase

The New York Jets have expressed a lot of interest but done very little, so here’s a breakdown of all that’s gone down in regards to the Jets today for both sides of the ball. As for tomorrow, Gang Green needs to wake up.

Offensive Line Rumors

The Jets were in on three key offensive linemen — Graham Glasgow, Joe Thuney, and Jack Conklin. All three are not going to be joining the Green and White. Despite prioritizing building through the trenches, the Jets added one offensive lineman today, and it was a guy they could’ve waited to scoop up in George Fant. The Jets need to add interior offensive linemen and are reportedly targeting C/G Steven Wisniewski & G Greg Van Roten. Van Roten is a longtime Jets fan and great pass protector, Wisniewski is a veteran with Douglas connections.

Wide Receiver Rumors

The Jets are devoted to helping Sam, but at what cost? The Jets missed out on adding either Stefon Diggs, Amari Cooper, and DeAndre Hopkins. All three would’ve been legit number one receivers. Now the Jets head towards day two of free agency looking to add playmakers. Phillip Dorsett is reportedly a big target. Dorsett is the only guy the Jets have publicly been linked to, but expect more to emerge tomorrow and keep an eye on Emmanuel Sanders.

Edge Rusher Rumors

The Jets have been very active in expressing interest here. The Jets have shown interest in Dante Fowler Jr as expected. However, the Jets have also shown SERIOUS interest in Jadeveon Clowney. If the money is there and feasible, the Jets should go after him. He would be a monster for Gregg Williams to have fun with on defense. Fowler and Clowney would immediately add more star power on defense. The Jets also seem inclined to let Jordan Jenkins walk per Connor Hughes of The Athletic.

As for lesser names, the Jets had shown interest in Kyle Van Noy before the Dolphins added him. Expect them to target Markus Golden as well.

Cornerback Rumors

The Jets were in on both James Bradberry and Byron Jones, but it seemed more than likely they would target lesser corners. Desmond Trufant was released by Atlanta today and has already been linked to the Jets. As has Chris Harris Jr. and Prince Amukamara. Brian Poole is a guy the Jets would like to bring back, but cost is debatable. Corner is a priority for the Jets, and their goal is to find value guys.

New York Giants have two options to fix the pass rush in free agency

by
New York Giants, Jadeveon Clowney, Markus Golden

The New York Giants need to prioritize the pass rush this offseason, whether it be through the NFL Draft or free agency. Luckily, there are plenty of options to consider in the open market. Now it depends on GM Dave Gettleman and his willingness to open his checkbook to inject more quality into the Giants’ defensive front.

However, two different scenarios could unfold for the Giants, as they represent the best situations available after a majority of the top pass rushers will be franchise tagged.

The two best options for the New York Giants:

1.) Jadeveon Clowney

Of course, Clowney is an ideal wish-list candidate, considering his ability to shut down an entire side on the defense. He can set the edge with solid run-stopping capabilities and also rush the passer an elite level, despite never having breached double-digit sacks in his career.

Last season, Clowney recorded just 3.0 sacks and 13 QB hits, but he was double-teamed on a majority of plays, essentially taking two offensive linemen out of the equation. The Giants will need to be confident that their No.2 pass-rusher is capable of winning 1v1 battles in the trenches. Also, factoring the Giants’ strong interior defense into the equation should justify a strong pass-rush presence, especially if they re-sign Leonard Williams to a multi-year deal.

2.) Kyle Van Noy and Markus Golden

This avenue is a bit more uncertain, considering Van Noy is an aging veteran, and Golden’s lone year of production after two years of consecutive injuries doesn’t scream consistency. However, this option is cheaper and lands two quality players who can serve multiple purposes.

Van Noy is a capable pass rusher but also stout against the run, and we know the type of production Golden can produce (10.0 sacks in 2019). I imagine they would likely garner around $25 million altogether while Clowney is projected to re-set the edge rusher market at $22 million per season. The Giants currently allocates just $29 million toward their entire defense.

New York Giants: The top 3 needs for Big Blue in free agency and NFL Draft

by
New York Giants, Daniel Jones

The New York Giants will enter free agency next Wednesday with plenty of needs across the board. The NFL draft will serve a significant purpose — retooling positions of cost. The Giants and general manager Dave Gettleman have about $80 million in open cap space to allocate towards other needs as well.

After cutting cornerback Janoris Jenkins in 2019, a significant hole at the number one corner position opened up. The Giants cannot count on second-year player DeAndre Baker to hold down the spot, as he struggled immensely in off-ball coverage last season. However, I am expecting a significant jump from him in year two, which hopefully should lead to him locking down a posing WR2s.

Another position of need is pass rusher, considering the lack of development from former Georgia standout, Lorenzo Carter. The Giants also drafted Oshane Ximines in the third round in 2019, and they are expecting him to be a quality rotational peace in his sophomore season. The Giants will also have to decide on Markus Golden, as to whether or not he is worth offering a multi-year deal to.

Aside from pass rusher and quarterback, the Giants have a major void at right tackle. After signing Mike Remmers to a one-year deal to supplement the position, the Giants will need to find a capable replacement, whether it be through the draft or free agency.

Ranking the top three needs for the New York Giants:

1. Right Tackle

Protecting Daniel Jones is the absolute priority for the Giants this off-season. While I believe they will address the spot with their fourth overall pick, they may allocate big money towards a free agent like Jack Conklin. I believe they are more enamored by Tristan Wirfs and others in the draft, considering that youth and lower cap hit.

2. Cornerback

Every team needs a quality pass rush, but what good is having a star edge defender if the secondary can’t hold up in coverage. Signing a player like Byron Jones this off-season would give the Giants the quality they need in the defensive backfield to provide time to their pass rush specialists.
Jones is reportedly seeking upwards of $17 million per season. Still, you can’t put a numerical value on a player that will essentially shut down an entire side of the field and coverage. If they can adjust the spot with efficiency, the Giants pass rush unit will be far better in 2020.

3. Pass Rusher

Last but not least, the Giants desperately need to add a pass rusher to the defense. With Jadeveon Clowney acting as the best option in free agency, the Giants are expected to allocate a ton of money in their bid for the former Houston Texan and Seattle Seahawk.

Reportedly, Clowney is seeking upwards of $22 million per season and a contending team, one of which the Giants do not hold. However, it is possible the Giants can turn their team around rather quickly if they managed to land several top free agents and bolster the offensive line.

RUMORS: New York Giants expected to pursue Jadeveon Clowney aggressively, here’s why they shouldn’t

by
New York Giants, Jadeveon Clowney

The New York Giants have been linked to star pass rusher, Jadeveon Clowney, this off-season, but general manager Dave Gettleman should be careful where he allocates his money. The Giants are expected to have around $80 million in open space to spend his free agency, but Clowney is asking for upwards of $22 million per season. That would slash about 25% of the Giants’ cap right off the bat, almost totaling their entire allocation towards the defense currently, at $29 million.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FIRESIDE GIANTS PODCAST

Considering Gettleman intends to enter the 2020 regular season with $20 million in cap space left over, signing Clowney would ultimately write off 50% of all the allocations they have to spend this off-season. That would leave $40 million to address the linebacker position, cornerback, and offensive tackle depending on their draft selections.

https://twitter.com/incarceratedbob/status/1236626139424186370

What the New York Giants should do instead:

While Clowney earned elite grades, according to PFF, with the 87.3 overall grade in 2019, he ranked 88th in sacks with just three, 12th in force fumbles with three, and 49th with 22 solo tackles. Clowney’s production does not scream elite by any means, but he is capable of shutting down an entire side of an offensive line, which makes him extremely valuable for any team.

Alternatively, for the Giants, they can pursue an option like Kyle Van Noy, who has been productive for the New England Patriots. While Van Noy hasn’t earned a Pro Bowl selection during his career, he has won two Super Bowl’s over the last three seasons with the Patriots. During that time frame, he has logged 16.5 sacks, to 189 combine tackles, and 37 quarterback hits. As an outside linebacker, he’s capable of rushing the passer and also dropping back into coverage, as he earned a 55.6% completion percentage in 2019. Also, his 9.7% missed tackle rate decreased significantly from 14.8% in 2018.

I believe pairing Van Noy, and Markus Golden on cheaper deals is far more valuable than signing Clowney for $22 million per season. Allocating that amount disables the Giants from addressing other positions of need. They are better off signing Byron Jones to lock down the number one corner spot, and Van Noy to act as a stopgap until they can find a better pass rusher.

New York Giants Interested In Kyle Van Noy

by

The NFL’s 2020 free agency period will begin this month. The New York Giants are set to have over $80 million to spend if they choose to. There is plenty of elite talent weeks away from hitting the open market that would fill positions of need for New York’s team.

The Giants are reportedly interested in a few big-name pass-rushers. The interest was reportedly mutual between the Giants and Yannick Ngakoue, prior to Yannick receiving the franchise tag (according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN). The Giants also have a mutual interest with Markus Golden in terms of a contract extension (Sports Illustrated). New York even has a mutual interest with big-name edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney.

There is another name to add to the Giants’ list of potential edge rusher targets in 2020: Kyle Van Noy.

The Giants’ Interest

According to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY, the Giants have an interest in signing New England’s free-agent pass-rusher Kyle Van Noy. This would likely only hold true if New York was unable to strike a deal with Jadeveon Clowney. But Van Noy would be an excellent value signing for the Giants.

Vacchiano estimates that Van Noy’s contract could “land in the $12 million per year range,” which is about half of what it would cost to sign Jadeveon Clowney.

In New England’s 2019 defense, Kyle Van Noy was moved to edge rusher. In this role, Van Noy totaled 60 pressures, 6.5 sacks, and a pressure rate of 13.8%, which ranked 26th best at his position (Pro Football Focus).

Though he is a great pass-rusher, Kyle Van Noy is an elite run defender. He earned an 85.4 run-defense grade on Pro Football Focus, an elite grade that ranked top-five at his position. He also totaled 56 combined tackles and 7 tackles for loss in 2019 as an edge rusher. As an off-ball linebacker in 2018, Kyle Van Noy racked up 92 combined tackles.

For only $12 million per year, Kyle Van Noy would be an excellent signing compared to the rest of the players on the market and their respective price tags.

Van Noy’s Possible Interest

Kyle Van Noy has spent his last three and a half seasons playing for the New England Patriots. The seven-year NFL veteran had a good relationship with Joe Judge, the Giants’ new head coach. Judge was with New England since 2012. 

When Van Noy learned of Judge’s promotion as New York’s new head coach, he was excited for his former special teams coordinator. While appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show” this offseason, Kyle described Joe Judge as a “ball of energy” and a “really, really good coach” that loves football. At the end of his discussion about Joe Judge, Kyle Van Noy exclaimed: “Go, Giants!”

Of course, Van Noy is probably just showing support for his former coach. But, being that he is an impending free agent, Kyle Van Noy could have been hinting at a desire to reunite with Joe Judge in New York. If that is what Van Noy wants, the Giants should be on board and should pursue him in free agency.

New York Giants: One alternative pass rusher to Jadeveon Clowney

by
New York Giants, Dante Fowler Jr.

The New York Giants are in the market for a new pass rusher this off-season, as Jadeveon Clowney and others remain available.

In 2019, the Giants’ best pass rusher was Markus Golden, who logged 10.0 sacks coming off two years of injury. General manager Dave Gettleman is looking to bring Markus back for a second season and beyond, but there is no guarantee in free agency. The Giants will be looking at all options to fill the void, as they realistically need two quality pass rushers to improve pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

The New York Giants could take a different route than Clowney:

One intriguing option is Los Angeles Rams defender, Dante Fowler Jr.

Fowler is one of the more affordable options in 2020, considering his production has limited his price tag and his overall ceiling is not as high as Jadeveon Clowney’s.

However, Fowler posted solid numbers last season, logging 11.5 sacks, 35 pressures, and 58 combine tackles. This was his best season by far and he took a major step forward from his four-sack performance in 2018. Inconsistency has been his biggest downfall and con since his inception into the NFL in 2016. Last year’s campaign was the first he posted double-digit sacks in his career, also breaking personal records in quarterback hits (16), tackles for loss (16), and passes defended (6).

The best part about Dante’s performance was that he featured in a 3-4 scheme as an outside linebacker, similar to the role he would play with the Giants if they elected to take a chance on him.

While his performance last season will undoubtedly earn him a pretty penny in free agency, I anticipate his price tag landing in the $15 million range, significantly less than Clowney’s projected per-year average at $22 million. With the majority of the star pass rushers on the market being franchise-tagged, the Giants will have to settle for a lesser option and hope for the best, and while Jadeveon represents the best of the crop, Fowler might fit their scheme better at a cheaper price.

New York Giants: Jadeveon Clowney Has Giants On Wish List

by
New York Giants, Jadeveon Clowney

The New York Giants have had major problems in the last few years with sacks, and it’s been some time since the team has had a real main pass rusher – Olivier Vernon didn’t live up to the expectations in that role and the closest the Giants have gotten is Markus Golden, who bounced back from a pair of bad seasons with the Cardinals to record 10 sacks in his first in New York… But Golden may not even be on the team come the end of free agency.

The Giants need to either add a pass rusher through the draft or free agency, and if they go for someone in free agency, one of the main candidates is Seahawks OLB Jadeveon Clowney. Clowney has of course taken some time to come into his own in the league but is one of the bigger names on the free agent market these days owing to his athleticism and his 9 sacks in each of his last two years with Houston, before his move to Seattle.

Despite coming off of a down year where he only registered 3 sacks, however, Clowney could come at a high price for whichever team ends up picking him up.

There’s some good news and bad news about the situation for the Giants. The good news is that there seems to be an interest from Clowney’s end in coming to the Giants – the bad news is that they may just be priced out of actually signing him.

According to SNY, the Giants are one of the teams on Clowney’s list of desired locations. It’s not surprising, of course. Despite bad years for the Giants recently, the team can still boast of having one of the largest media markets in sports, and New York is known as a place where there’s always something to do and where stars thrive.

However, it doesn’t look like Clowney has enough interest in New York to take less money to come to the Giants.

According to an NFL source, the Giants are one of the teams on the 27-year-old edge rusher’s wish list as he heads to free agency. But according to another source, he could be looking at a contract worth $22-23 million per year, which will likely be out of the Giants’ range.

The Giants currently have no player on their roster with a cap hit higher than 19.5 million – and that contract belongs to Nate Solder, who is widely believed to be overpaid by the Giants based on his poor performances on the field.

Giving Clowney his desired contract would make him the highest paid player on the team. Is he worth that kind of money? Considering his lack of a 10 sack season, and his worse stats across the board in 2019, probably not.

Whether the solution comes from re-signing Markus Golden, or drafting a pass rusher in the Draft, the Giants are likely better off finding help in that department elsewhere if this report is actually true.

New York Giants: 2 free agents to change the course of the Giants’ defense

by
New York Giants, Byron Jones, Jadeveon Clowney

This off-season for the New York Giants will be as significant as it gets in retooling both sides of the ball for a new head coach Joe Judge. General manager Dave Gettleman has a tall task ahead of him, especially after two lackluster seasons in free agency finding players who can make a difference every Sunday.

However, this free agency period offers plenty of elite value, and two players that could fit the bill for the Giants are cornerback Byron Jones and pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney.

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR NEW FAVORITE NEW YORK GIANTS PODCAST!

What would they bring to the New York Giants?

Signing Byron Jones will take plenty of salary cap, but he’s well worth every penny the Giants would theoretically spend. Looking at his statistical output, he missed only one game in five seasons, proving his consistent health. Injuries have been a significant factor for the Giants in past years, and finding players that remain healthy is essential in the development of a strong and successful team.

Looking at his numbers from 2019, Jones recorded six pass breakups, 47 combine tackles, and a 53.1% completion percentage. He had a 2.1% missed tackle rate and allowed just 260 yards through the air on completions.

While his numbers don’t scream productivity, for a cornerback, they are fantastic. You might be wondering why, but teams aren’t focusing on Byron Jones in coverage, they are staying far away from him and his side of the field. Flashback to his matchup against Michael Thomas, star receiver for the New Orleans Saints last season, where he allowed ZERO completions.

Ultimately, it comes down to price tag, and the Giants would have to fork over at least $16 million per season if they wish to sign Jones in free agency. Gettleman has approximately $80 million in cap space to work with, making Jones a reasonable target. Adding a true number one corner to pair with DeAndre Baker would improve the secondary significantly going into 2020.

As for Jadeveon Clowney, the Giants would be getting an elite edge rusher to add to the defensive front. With the anticipation that they will pursue Markus Golden in free agency after recording 10.0 sacks last season, pairing him with an option like Clowney would offer the defense plenty of talent in the pass rush department.

The biggest knock on Clowney has been his health history, but he only missed six games in the last four years. For perspective, Evan Engram missed eight games last season. As far as production, Clowney only recorded three sacks in 2019 with 31 combine tackles and 13 quarterback hits. Ultimately, he didn’t look as spry as he has in past years, but he is a three-time Pro Bowler that looked fantastic during his time with the Houston Texans. Often, he was overshadowed by JJ Watt, rightfully so, but he would be the Giants’ top option and star defensive end.

In the scenario that Chase young somehow dropped the Giants with the fourth overall pick, caring young and Clowney would give the Giants one of the best pass rush duos in the NFL. At just 27 years old, Jadeveon is still in his prime and looking to wreak havoc on a new team next season.

New York Giants reportedly in on pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney

by
New York Giants, Jadeveon Clowney

With the New York Giants in dire need of pass rush support, we can expect them to dive into the deep end of the free-agent pool. One top option is Jadeveon Clowney, who has a complicated injury history but is one of the best when healthy.

Per ESPN’s Josina Anderson, the Colts and Giants are reportedly interested in the premier pass-rush option, but that Clowney would “definitely like to return” to the Seattle Seahawks, but is also “open to new opportunities if it comes down to that.”

The Seahawks could very well lock up Clowney and take him off the open market, but playing only 13 games and starting 11 makes him a potential risk.

“I think he came in, he loved the culture, loved the coaching staff, loves the chefs, loves our equipment guys,” John Schneider of Seattle said. “He’s a really fun guy. He’s a blast to be around and I hope we can continue that. Super disruptive.”

The New York Giants could be a good fit:

Given the ample cap-space the Giants currently have (about $75 million), they can easily afford to pay Clowney. However, I’m skeptical it’s worth the investment, having missed nine games over the past five seasons. He does have the ability to play both defensive end and outside linebacker, giving him the diversity the Giants need in a new defensive scheme run by Patrick Graham.

One thing to note is that Clowney has never reached double-digit sacks, logging only 3.0 last season. He did record three passes defended and four forced fumbles, though, showing some production in his sixth season in the NFL.

His three Pro Bowl appearances in six years indicate he’s a very talented player who produces reliable pressure rates and is stout against the run. Clowney did undergo surgery to his core last season, but Schnieder stated that it shouldn’t affect him during the 2020 season.

New York Giants: Comparing Jadeveon Clowney and Markus Golden

by
New York Giants, Jadeveon Clowney, Markus Golden

The New York Giants are in need of a pass-rusher heading into the 2020 NFL offseason. Free agency begins next month and the Giants have over $70 million to spend. The team has been linked to top-tier free agents such as Jadeveon Clowney. But the Giants have an edge rusher of their own that’s set to be a free agent next month.

Markus Golden will be a free agent this offseason after an impressive bounce-back season as a member of the New York Giants. Coming off of an injury, Golden signed a one-year deal with New York and totaled 10 sacks while starting in all 16 games. Despite this, most are not sold on Golden as a primary pass-rusher. The Giants are reportedly one of the teams interested in signing edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney. But how big of an upgrade is Jadeveon Clowney over Markus Golden? And is Clowney worth the contract that he is set to receive this offseason?

Clowney or Golden?

Jadeveon Clowney has an estimated market value by Spotrac of $20 million on average annually. Over The Cap projects that Clowney will get a five-year contract worth $21 million on average annually. In comparison, Markus Golden has a Spotrac market value of $13.5 million on average annually. Over The Cap projects that Golden will get a three-year contract worth $9 million on average annually.

Jadeveon Clowney is widely regarded as one of the best edge rushers in the NFL. However, teams will be cautionary when considering signing him. Clowney has a bit of an injury history and played in only 13 games in 2019. In those 13 games, Clowney totaled only 3 sacks and 31 combined tackles. But once Clowney was fully healthy for the playoffs, he took his game to another level.

The Seattle Seahawks played two playoff games this season before being eliminated. In those 2 games, Clowney dominated and totaled 1.5 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, and 12 combined tackles. He was all over the field for Seattle’s defense and was clearly their best defensive player.

Markus Golden did have a much better statistical season than Clowney. He played in 16 games and totaled 10 sacks, 72 combined tackles, and 13 tackles for loss. One criticism that many people have on Golden is that a lot of his sacks were “clean-up” sacks and he was not really applying consistent pressure. But Golden’s production will come at half of the price of Jadeveon Clowney. Clowney is regarded as one of the league’s elite run-defenders, but he is not necessarily a dominant pass-rusher either.

It would be risky to invest a lot of money into either one of these players. However, both of them would fill a huge need for the Giants in 2020 and beyond.