{"id":60750,"date":"2025-05-18T20:52:09","date_gmt":"2025-05-18T20:52:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/60750\/"},"modified":"2025-05-18T20:52:09","modified_gmt":"2025-05-18T20:52:09","slug":"why-patriots-should-target-jadeveon-clowney-to-bolster-pass-rush","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/60750\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Patriots should target Jadeveon Clowney to bolster pass rush"},"content":{"rendered":"

The New England Patriots<\/a> have taken a serious step forward this offseason in reshaping their roster. Between a strong free agent class and a promising draft, the roster has improved significantly.<\/p>\n

However, the one area still needing attention is edge rusher. While Harold Landry III, Keion White and Bradyn Swinson headline an improved group, the Patriots still lack a true premier threat off the edge.<\/p>\n

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Enter Jadeveon Clowney.<\/p>\n

Clowney, a former No. 1 overall pick, is still available, mostly due to an injury-plagued 2024 season, but in 2023, he had one of his most productive years. He logged 9.5 sacks for the Baltimore Ravens, pushing his total to 58 sacks across an 11-year career.<\/p>\n

While he never fully lived up to his top-pick billing due to injuries and inconsistent production, Clowney remains a disruptive run defender and capable pass rusher with positional versatility. He\u2019s played across the line and brings 108 career tackles for a loss.<\/p>\n

Clowney has been a “pass rusher for hire” over the last few years with stints in Houston, Seattle, Tennessee, Cleveland, Baltimore and Carolina. His best years came with Houston and recently in Baltimore, but the reason his ceiling never truly took off boils down to injuries and being miscast in schemes that didn\u2019t fully maximize his talent.<\/p>\n

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That said, when used properly, he\u2019s still an asset.<\/p>\n

Clowney makes sense for the Patriots for several reasons. First, there\u2019s familiarity between Clowney and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel. Clowney spent five years total with Vrabel in Houston and Tennessee. Vrabel was the former linebackers coach and defensive coordinator for the Texans before becoming the head coach for the Titans.<\/p>\n

He already knows what he’s getting with Clowney\u2014a relentless, physical defender who still has something left to offer.<\/p>\n

Second, the Patriots are trying to rebuild a locker room identity and raise the floor across their roster. Clowney represents high-end depth and a potential rotational starter.<\/p>\n

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While he isn\u2019t a franchise-changing superstar, adding a proven vet like Clowney ensures you\u2019re not counting on unproven players like Swinson\u2014a fifth-round pick who hasn\u2019t played a snap yet\u2014to carry a massive load out of the gate. It also signals to the locker room that jobs must be earned, not handed out.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a team-building element to this. Rather than pinning hopes on every draft pick becoming a starter, you create real competition. It\u2019s how great teams stay great. The Patriots need to return to that model. Swinson and White are promising, but neither is established. Landry is solid, but Clowney can help stabilize the position further and bring experience to a group that\u2019s still trying to find its true leader off the edge.<\/p>\n

Clowney is also a cultural fit. He\u2019s played under demanding coaches and has always been viewed as a passionate, smart football player. While his production won\u2019t always jump off the screen, his ability to play both the run and the pass gives defensive coordinator Terrell Williams flexibility in how he structures his fronts. Whether in sub-packages or as a rotational first and second-down edge, Clowney would give the Patriots more control against run-heavy offenses and help close down scrambling quarterbacks, which is something they’ve struggled with in recent years.<\/p>\n

This move would also reflect the front office\u2019s commitment to supporting Drake Maye and the rest of the new offensive core. By investing in defensive depth, particularly with smart, experienced veterans, you limit the number of games decided by one busted coverage or a blown containment on the edge. Clowney\u2019s value goes beyond the stat sheet. He helps you win the margin.<\/p>\n

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In terms of money, Clowney could likely be signed on a one-year deal in the $6\u2013$8 million range, a bargain for the experience and stability he brings. He\u2019s a win-now addition that doesn\u2019t compromise future flexibility.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, the Patriots need to improve not just the top of their depth chart, but the middle and bottom of it. Signing Clowney is a smart, low-risk, high-floor move that adds power, depth and experience to a defense that\u2019s improved but still searching for the edge.<\/p>\n

Follow Patriots Wire on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Why Patriots should target Jadeveon Clowney to bolster pass rush<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The New England Patriots have taken a serious step forward this offseason in reshaping their roster. Between a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":60751,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2050],"tags":[117,293,85,833,7,287,221,4893,7900,838,1167,249,2326,2094,6,190,208,237,526],"class_list":{"0":"post-60750","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-england-patriots","8":"tag-baltimore-ravens","9":"tag-bradyn-swinson","10":"tag-cleveland","11":"tag-drake-maye","12":"tag-football","13":"tag-harold-landry","14":"tag-houston","15":"tag-jadeveon-clowney","16":"tag-keion-white","17":"tag-mike-vrabel","18":"tag-new-england","19":"tag-new-england-patriots","20":"tag-newengland","21":"tag-newenglandpatriots","22":"tag-nfl","23":"tag-pass-rusher","24":"tag-patriots","25":"tag-seattle","26":"tag-tennessee"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60750","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60750"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60750\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60751"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60750"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60750"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}