NFL Free agency: Ravens, Eagles and Titans in Jadeveon Clowney’s top-5

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 05: Quarterback Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles is hit by Jadeveon Clowney #90 of the Seattle Seahawks during the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 05, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 05: Quarterback Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles is hit by Jadeveon Clowney #90 of the Seattle Seahawks during the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 05, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
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(Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images)
(Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images)

3. Philadelphia Eagles

Biggest issue: Not really a fit for what he does best

Player hurt the most: Derek Barnett

What is Jadeveon Clowney? When you watch him on film it is clear that his best fit is and has always been as a player whose best position by down has been:

1st down: EDGE (4-3) or 5-tech (3-4)

2nd down: EDGE (4-3) or 5-tech (3-4)

3rd down: 3-tech (4-3) or 4i/B-gap (3-4)

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Those are the positions where he excels the most and if you are signing him at this point you have to imagine that you are going to try to use him in a position that gives him the best chance to succeed.

To me, those are the same exact positions where I think Derek Barnett should be thriving at the NFL level.

Since the Eagles just picked up Barnett’s 5th-year option, he just got a lot harder to trade unless the team that trades for him expects to renegotiate a deal immediately.

On top of all of that, is the juice even worth the squeeze there? Let’s assume that Barnett and Clowney can coexist, this is what the depth chart already looks like without Clowney:

EDGE: Derek Barnett, Brandon Graham, Genard Avery, Josh Sweat, Shareef Miller, Daeshon Hall, Joe Ostman

DT: Fletcher Cox, Malik Jackson, Javon Hargrave, Hassan Ridgeway

I mean, how many snaps is Clowney really going to get on that roster barring an injury?

Despite that, the Eagles do have the 7th most cap space in the NFL so they are one of the few teams who might as well reach out and then make the hard cut or a trade down the road.

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