Jadeveon Clowney Signing with Texans Rumor? No, It's Not 'Ideal'
It would be poetic. It would be romantic. It would be - in the "Prodigal Son'' sense - almost Biblical. But no, former Houston Texans standout Jadeveon Clowney coming back "home'' to Texas would not be "ideal.''
That's the word being thrown around by former NFL GM Rick Spielman, who is trying to pair up the best free agents left on the market with viable new landing spots. Writes Spielman: "I can see Clowney going back to where he started his career as an ideal fit.''
Oh, we can see it happening. We can see it happening for a lot of reasons, especially because two of the key figures who would be involved in such a move have touched on the idea. But before we go there: "Ideal''? No. There is nothing "ideal'' about how Clowney would fit or what he would project to be.
Want an "ideal'' addition to the defensive front? Go get a 23-year-old J.J. Watt. Oh, and while you're at it, get a 26-year-old Lawrence Taylor, too.
Rather than "ideal,'' let's talk "reality,'' shall we? Said new coach DeMeco Ryans recently: “We always look at any players that can help us win. We’ll explore all options. I’ll never throw anyone off the table. Everything is an option for me.”
That falls quite shy of an announcement of real movement here. But it is notable that Houston hasn’t scoffed at the idea. And also notable?
"It would be nice," Clowney himself recently said. "They have put some pieces together. I am a big fan of their new head coach. And they have some guys up front who I think can go. It is going to be big to see what they will do this year. And I am looking forward to it."
You see the problem, right? "Poetic.'' "Romantic.'' "Almost Biblical.'' And now "nice.'' "Nice''? Who wants "nice''?
The Texans as an organization have played plenty of patty-cake. The dopey trade-away of DeAndre Hopkins was in part due to somebody in this front office thinking D-Hop's personal style was something short of "nice.'' Houston is accused of knowingly assisting DeShaun Watson in his nasty massage habits in what could be characterized as being "nice.''
The hiring of the last two head coaches (in two years) was "nice.'' The hiring of of coach Ryans? Well, OK, he played here. So it's a "nice'' story, too. But the last thing Houston needs is for Ryans to be nice.
Clowney spent the previous two seasons as a member of the Cleveland Browns. Before that, a contract dispute with the former No. 1 overall pick (by Houston in 2014) caused the Texans to trade Clowney to the Seattle Seahawks. He later signed with the Tennessee Titans ahead of the 2020 campaign.
But last year in Cleveland, he was paid $8 million and he got two sacks. So the fact that he and his agent have spoken with the Texans about a potential return? The fact that in addition to Ryans, Clowney is also fond of rookie defensive end Will Anderson Jr.?
Houston fans shouldn't care. Clowney, the No. 1 pick of the 2014 NFL Draft out of South Carolina played five seasons in Houston. Nice. But now he's 30. He's coming off a bad year with a bloated contract. Want a warm-hearted tale? It's available ...
“All of my family is here," Clowney said. "I have friends here. And the people who help me take care of my body. You never know what can happen."
Oh, we know what should happen. The Texans should explore a Clowney signing, they should insist on winning the negotiations if it gets that far, and they should absolutely refuse to be "nice.''
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