Jadeveon Clowney hasn't talked like a man in a rush to find a new NFL home, calling his free agency a "slow process" and suggesting teams need to get an in-person look at him before he'll get the kind of money he's seeking. There's now more evidence to indicate Clowney isn't close to picking a team for 2020, with ESPN's Adam Schefter reporting Wednesday on ESPN Cleveland that the former Seattle Seahawks standout has "balked" at a lucrative offer from the Cleveland Browns.
"I think they've been the most aggressive team with him financially," Schefter said of the Browns, per ESPN's Jake Trotter. "And I just think he has balked at going to Cleveland for whatever reason. I think he's been hesitant to go, because if he wasn't, he would've gone already because it's the most money. It's the richest offer on the table, and he hasn't taken it."
Schefter said he's unsure why Clowney would hesitate to take the Browns' offer and acknowledged Clowney could still opt to sign there, but he added there's "no doubt" that Cleveland has offered him the biggest deal to date. The former No. 1 overall draft pick had previously been linked to the Browns, who've reportedly also targeted ex-Minnesota Vikings pass rusher Everson Griffen, and had seemingly been holding out for more lucrative offers after a quiet start to 2020 free agency.
Upon hitting the open market, the former Texans starter was reportedly seeking north of $20 million per season on a long-term contract. That asking price quickly dropped, per reports, to around $17 million per year, but even so, Clowney's market has apparently not been up to par, with the defensive end reportedly also turning down multiple offers from the Seahawks and Tennessee Titans. At least one other team hasn't valued him at much more than $10 million, with the Philadelphia Eagles -- once a rumored destination -- reportedly removing him from their wish list because of Clowney's desired salary.
