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Breaking down a potential Jadeveon Clowney trade to Tennessee Titans

By Will Lomas

HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 16: Andrew Luck #12 of the Indianapolis Colts is hit by Jadeveon Clowney #90 of the Houston Texans and Benardrick McKinney #55 after throwing a pass in the fourth quarter at NRG Stadium on October 16, 2016 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 16: Andrew Luck #12 of the Indianapolis Colts is hit by Jadeveon Clowney #90 of the Houston Texans and Benardrick McKinney #55 after throwing a pass in the fourth quarter at NRG Stadium on October 16, 2016 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
(Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

The big issue that could hold the Tennessee Titans back from making an offer.

There is only one real cost outside of the potential trade compensation, which of course is the contract.

The Titans have showed that they aren’t afraid to spend money on great players, just ask Jurrell Casey, Taylor Lewan, Logan Ryan, Malcolm Butler, and Kevin Byard. So just how much does Jadeveon Clowney want to be paid?

It is important to note, that this is just a framework going forward because I’m not sure that you can actually make a deal with Clowney until after the season because he was franchise tagged.

If I am trying to find the best framework to copy for this deal. The best one I can think of is Brandon Graham. Over the last three years these are their stat lines:

Graham: 19 sacks, 38 TFLs

Clowney: 24.5 sacks, 53 TFLs

Those are the two big stats that determine contracts and obviously Clowney is clearly better in both categories, but that is really the only other guy that got a big contract and is significantly better at getting TFLs than sacks.

In March, Graham signed a 3 year/$40 million deal to stay with the Philadelphia Eagles before free agency kicked off. I’m going to assume he took a little bit of a hometown discount, but that the deal wasn’t too far away from what he was looking at getting in free agency.

Let’s say that “fair value” was $15 million per year, which would make him the 13th highest paid EDGE in the NFL annually.

However, every year it gets more expensive and there is no way a young guy like Clowney coming off of back to back 9-sack seasons is going to be worth that little on the open market.

Realistically, I think a good target for the Tennessee Titans AND Jadeveon Clowney in this scenario is this deal:

5 year/$100 million, $50 million GTD (mostly over the first two years)

That would make him the 4th highest paid EDGE in the NFL and the only one without a huge pass rushing year.

Clowney’s agent should take that because we have seen very good EDGEs who don’t rush the passer well do alright in free agency, but they don’t make that money.

The Titans should agree to that structure because of the potential and the need he fills now.

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