Texans trade Jadeveon Clowney to Seahawks
By Anthony Wood
Former #1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney has a new home in Seattle
After weeks of shopping Pro-Bowl pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney, the Houston Texans finally found a willing suitor in the Seattle Seahawks.
In exchange for the former first overall selection, the Texans received a third-round pick, second-year linebacker Jacob Martin, and veteran outside linebacker/defensive end Barkevious Mingo.
s a result, the Texans have offloaded Clowney’s $15,967,200 salary for having him on the franchise tag in 2019. However, as well as the remainder of his contract, they also lose his significant productivity on this defense.
Impact on the Texans
In five years with the organization, he recorded 29 sacks, 67 quarterback hits, and 205 combined tackles. Since his arrival, he may not have evolved as the dominant pass-rusher they had expected, however, his ability as a run-stuffer is undeniable. Throw in the fact that he took the pressure off of J.J. Watt, giving him more freedom to rush the quarterback and he will prove a big loss.
Looking ahead, veteran edge rusher Whitney Mercilus will have to take over as the second main pass-rushing threat while Brennan Scarlett and Jacoby Martin will have to share the burden of replacing Clowney’s productivity elsewhere.
With extensions on the horizon for the likes of quarterback Deshaun Watson, saving money on a long-term extension for Clowney will come in useful over the coming years. And despite the addition of promising youngster Martin, his deal only involves the $2,101,530 left to go in the remaining three years of his rookie contract.
Along with Martin and Mingo, the Texans made another addition to their defense on Saturday via trade. They brought in cornerback Keion Crossen from the New England Patriots in exchange for a sixth-round pick. The second-year corner and special teamer made 11 regular-season appearances on his way to a Super Bowl title in 2018.
Crossen will fill the void left by Johnson Bademosi who was part of the package which went to the Miami Dolphins on Saturday in a trade for offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Kenny Stills.
Impact on the Seahawks
This is a huge move for Seattle because it gives them an opportunity to compete with the Rams in 2019. It will be interesting to see exactly where Clowney lines up on this defense. In Texas he has been used to playing in the 3-4 as the rushers, designated as a linebacker. However, the Seahawks have a tendency to play a more traditional 4-3 and it will be interesting to see whether Clowney is a defensive end or a linebacker in that system.
This move was a no-brainer. The price was minimal in giving up a third and a couple of depth pieces, and they had the salary cap room. Following the trade Sportrac still have the Seahawks with over $10 million of cap space. That is plenty to make moves in the season as injuries and releases happen, as well as making more trades.
Clowney is going to need to make an instant impact on a defense which traded away Frank Clark earlier in the offseason. The Seahawks defense lacks the top end talent it once had at all three levels, but Clowney and Wagner are two of the better defensive options in the league.
Conclusion
This trade makes a lot of sense for both teams. The relationship between the Texans and Clowney had clearly soured to a point where it was not going to be repaired. There have been rumours of a lack of effort in training and Bill O’Brien not being a fan of Clowney for that reason. Yes, they did not get the haul that they had apparently been offered by the Miami Dolphins, but the Texans can now move on and get ready for the season to start this weekend.
As for the Seahawks they needed more talent and they got it. They also have the luxury of not having a long term commitment to Clowney. If after this season they want to part ways they can, and they will recoup some of this trade in the form of a compensatory pick. If they want to lock him up long-term they can. It really is a no-lose situation for Seattle.
Anthony Wood
NFL Analyst
REPRESENTING BRITS IN THE US, ANTHONY WILL BE WRITING FOR THE TOUCHDOWN FROM HIS NEW HOME IN TEXAS. WHERE HE ALSO WRITES AND PODCASTS FOR THE TEXANS WIRE. FOLLOW HIM @ARWOODNFL ON TWITTER.
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