INDIANAPOLIS — The Cowboys have already agreed to terms with running back Javonte Williams. They have their sights set on a deal with restricted free agent kicker Brandon Aubrey. Whether he likes it or not, wide receiver George Pickens, an inevitable recipient of the team’s lone franchise tag, appears to be going nowhere.
But what about Cowboys defensive end Jadeveon Clowney? That decision might not be as obvious.
Clowney is an interesting case. He didn’t sign with the Cowboys until after the season began. He started slow, but finished fast. He had 4.5 sacks over the team’s final two games, bringing his season total to a team-high 8.5. His one-year, $3.5 million deal proved to be a worthwhile investment.
Clowney also impressed with his leadership and his tutelage of younger pass rushers, including last year’s second-round pick Donovan Ezeiruaku.
Cowboys
The Cowboys were Clowney’s fourth team in four years. It went so well this season, however, that Cowboys players made it clear after the season they wanted him back for another go.
“We need him. We want him,” Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said of Clowney and his future after the season finale, where he finished with three sacks. “He goes out and makes a game like this and it’s like, ‘Damn bro, you’re making the price high.’”
But how high can the price go for a 33-year-old journeyman pass rusher? The Cowboys might be willing to find out before they make the first move.
Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones was asked by The Dallas Morning News if they would be willing to let Clowney hit free agency so they could determine what his market looks like.
“We’ve just got to see how all that works,” Jones said Monday from Indianapolis. “The other thing we’re going through, because our 100% focus has been on hiring the defensive staff, is now, what is their vision for every player? And how do the players that we’ve had here fit, and how do other players around the league that might be free fit? And how do players that we might acquire fit? All those are things that we’re really just now getting to … we had our first personnel meeting just last week. It’s a work in progress.”
Jones was then asked specifically if Clowney is a fit in new defensive coordinator Christian Parker’s vision.
“We’re a work in progress,” he said.
Clowney has a market value that’s worth $5.7 million per year, according to Spotrac. Whether he actually hits that number in free agency remains to be seen.
There’s at least one fan of Clowney in the Cowboys’ front office. Team owner Jerry Jones went out of his way to sing the praises of Clowney while speaking with a few reporters from a high-rise bar in San Francisco prior to the Super Bowl. He said Clowney may have started late with the Cowboys, but he handled his business well. Clowney did so well that Jones said he gives the Cowboys “flexibility” on whether they needed to use a draft pick on an edge rusher early.
“He was very impressive,” Jerry Jones said.
But impressive enough to sign before free agency? That’s not as obvious with less than a month before free agency begins.
Clowney is certain, however, he has more in the tank. He even said he was looking forward to going to training camp this year unlike last year — a comment that’s not common for veterans of his stature.
“I’m not going to go sit on my couch,” Clowney said in December about this upcoming offseason. ”I’m going to stay ready.”
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