Much has been written said about teams that have interest, that may have interest, that could have interest, that at one point had interest, and/or that had no interest in defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. Not much has been said about what a team is willing to pay.
One important clue emerged last month, when the Seahawks opted not to apply the UFA tender to Clowney, at a 10 percent increase over his $15 million salary in 2020 -- or $16.5 million.
So how much would the Seahawks pay? As one league source explained it, Seattle has been willing to pay Clowney $15 million on a one-year deal.
During the talks between Clowney’s representatives and Seattle, it came up that the Browns would pay Clowney $18 million. It’s unclear whether that was a real offer or the kind of puffery that happens during negotiations.
Regardless, Clowney still remains available. As teams as able to start doing business, presumably they’ll be able (sooner than later) to bring free agents in for visits and physicals. At that point, maybe a market for the first pick in the 2014 draft will finally emerge.