Seahawks Facing Sinking Odds for Re-Signing Jadeveon Clowney

As other top pass rushers receive franchise tags and lucrative multi-year contracts, the price to retain Clowney only continues to rise, diminishing Seattle's chances of keeping him for 2020 and beyond.

The Seahawks continue to negotiate with Jadeveon Clowney in hopes of bringing him back for 2020 and beyond, but after a busy past 48 hours around the NFL, the chances of such a deal happening diminish by the minute.

Various reports throughout the offseason have suggested Clowney will be pushing for at least $20 million per year in free agency. But after multiple teams used franchise tags on star pass rushers and DeForest Buckner broke the bank after being acquired by the Colts on Monday, that number might as well have been called the floor for a long-term contract.

With Yannick Ngakoue, Chris Jones, Matt Judon, and Shaquill Barrett all receiving tags from their respective teams, Arik Armstead signing a five-year, $85 million deal with the 49ers, and Buckner's new mega deal surging to $21 million per year, the free agent market for pass rushers suddenly looks barren. With the lack of available star power, Clowney will surely be able to cash in as the premier edge defender left unsigned.

Under such circumstances, general manager John Schneider may be forced to wave the white flag and move on to other alternatives.

Now, if the Seahawks decide to open up cap room by making a few veteran cuts or restructuring deals for K.J. Wright and Justin Britt, that could make absorbing such a hefty contract more feasible. And such moves could be done after Clowney signs, so Schneider does have some flexibility.

But Seattle must land more than one pass rusher to bolster a defense that finished second-to-last in the NFL in sacks last year. Does it really make sense to put that much money into a player who has never produced double digit sacks? And most importantly does it leave any wiggle room to add that second rusher so desperately needed?

The Seahawks will have other options to consider, though the crop of talented pass rushers has already been picked thin to an extent, which could make tier two players more expensive. Veterans such as Robert Quinn and Vic Beasley remain available, while Schneider could also consider a trade for Ngakoue or Judon if he's willing to part with a high draft pick.

It's hard to envision Seattle locking up Clowney and making a move to add any of the aforementioned players due to expense. They could settle for bringing back Bruce Irvin or Michael Bennett at a lower cost to team up with him, but both players are past their prime and wouldn't move the needle much helping the franchise get back to the Super Bowl.

Considering Schneider's history, plus the fact Seattle already has Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner on the roster with record-breaking contracts, it seems unlikely Clowney will be re-signed. If he's pushing for more than Buckner received from the Colts, that's simply way too rich with just $39 million in estimated cap space available and the Seahawks will be forced to look at alternative avenues to address their pass rush woes.