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Jadeveon Clowney to the Eagles?
There’s previously been some speculation that Philadelphia could be interested in trading for the disgruntled Texans pass rusher.
According to one NFL reporter, though, it’s not likely to happen. Here’s what Yahoo! Sports’ Charles Robinson had to say on Friday evening.
Hate to deflate #Eagles Twitter, but if the #Texans were to ever put Jadeveon Clowney on the trade block, I don’t think he’s viewed by the power brokers in Philly as someone fitting their cap/culture situations. #NFL is a never say never league, but that’s not looking like a fit.
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) July 26, 2019
Clowney is currently holding out from Houston’s training camp. The No. 1 overall pick from the 2014 NFL Draft was seeking a long-term contract extension but now he won’t be able to sign one until 2020 at the earliest since the July 15 deadline for franchise-tagged players has passed.
Clowney could be hoping to get traded to a team that has interest in signing him after 2019. And that’s where Philadelphia could theoretically come in. If the Eagles work out acceptable trade terms with the Texans, Clowney could sign his franchise tender and choose to go to Philly.
Of course, Clowney could easily decide that the Eagles aren’t the best landing spot for him and refuse to sign his tender. The Eagles just re-signed Brandon Graham to a three-year contract extension earlier this year. The team is also clearly high on 2017 first-round pick Derek Barnett. Vinny Curry and Josh Sweat are currently projected to be contributors in the pass rush rotation. Having to share playing time isn’t attractive to a player entering a contract year.
From the Eagles’ perspective, there’s obvious risk in trading for Clowney when he could leave in free agency after this season. The cost to get him will not be cheap and his new contract won’t be, either. The Eagles need to be smart about how they use their draft picks since they need to acquire inexpensive, young talent to build around Carson Wentz’s big quarterback contract.
Clowney on the Eagles is a nice thought. Having him would lessen some worries about Philadelphia’s pass rush after losing Chris Long and Michael Bennett. But it’s ultimately not realistic.