Pro #2: Clowney doesn’t have leverage on Tennessee
The Jadeveon Clowney deal will be completely independent of any current players on the Tennessee Titans roster if it ever happens. However, the perception of need can create a division between Clowney and the Titans front office.
For example, I think that if Vic Beasley is in the fold, Jadeveon Clowney and his agent sees his value to the Titans as a starter on 50% of drives and a sub-package chess piece on most 3rd downs.
However, if Beasley isn’t in the mix then the idea of what Clowney needs to do for the Titans changes. Suddenly his agent isn’t going to just ask for a one-year deal to inflate his stats before going out and trying to get a huge contract in 2021.
Now you are going to be (theoretically) asking for a starter on base downs and on 3rd downs which means he should be paid more than anything they were initially trying to find common ground on.
You could make the case that more opportunity gives Clowney a better chance to inflate his stats, but you have to remember that Clowney is like Ndamukong Suh in that he probably isn’t looking for the best situation, but rather the best financial situation.
Based off of his NFL career, we can assume that Clowney is looking for a season to put big numbers on paper on a winning team and being used in a limited role gives him a built-in excuse for why he could be a “steal” for a team even with a big price tag.