Over the past few days, the Denver Broncos have been linked to edge rushers Von Miller and Chandler Jones, but The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia predicted the Broncos will sign a different edge rusher.
On March 10, Kapadia released an article with free agency predictions for every NFL team. In it, Kapadia predicted the Broncos will sign former number one overall pick Jadeveon Clowney.
This will be Clowney’s third consecutive offseason as a free agent. In the previous two, he’s only been able to land one-year deals. But Clowney is coming off of a season in which he had nine sacks and 19 QB hits with the Browns. Teaming him up with Bradley Chubb, assuming Chubb can stay healthy, could be appealing.
Clowney’s statistical resume over the past few years is odd. Last season, Clowney had nine sacks, which was his highest single season total since 2018. However, Clowney had his fewest amount of quarterback hurries since 2016, excluding his eight-game 2020 season.
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Also, his PFF grade of 66.5 was his lowest since his rookie season in 2014.
Advanced stats indicate that 2019 was the second-best season of Clowney’s career. He had the second-highest PFF pass rush grade of his career, and he had the third-most quarterback hurries in his career, while only starting 11 games. However, Clowney recorded a mere three sacks that season.
Recently, Clowney’s advanced metrics and basic production just have not matched up in the same season.
Clowney Is Unlikely to Return to the Browns
Clowney is unlikely to return to the Cleveland Browns, according to The OBR’s Brad Stainbrook.
Jadeveon Clowney, who sources tell TheOBR is settling his affairs in Cleveland this week, currently does not plan on returning to the Browns next season. Clowney is expected to enter free agency with a larger market coming off a strong nine-sack season.
Spotrac estimates Clowney’s market value will be $12.7 million per season. If the Broncos are interested in Clowney, they should be able to make a competitive offer.
A pass rushing tandem of Clowney and Bradley Chubb has a lot of upside, but top-level options like Miller and Jones are more reliable.
The Athletic Predicts the Broncos Will Sign Trent Brown and Leighton Vander Esch
In addition to Clowney, Kapadia predicted that the Broncos will also sign offensive tackle Trent Brown and linebacker Leighton Vander Esch.
Right tackle has been a sore spot for Denver. Brown’s market is tough to predict. He’s played in just 14 games over the past two seasons, but when Brown’s on the field, he performs at a high level. Vander Esch could give the Broncos a starting-caliber off-ball linebacker.
Right tackle is a big need for the Broncos with Bobby Massie hitting free agency. Brown was a Pro Bowl selection in 2019. Last season, he had a PFF pass blocking grade of 73.2.
The Broncos have three linebackers set to become unrestricted free agents: Alexander Johnson, Josey Jewell, and Kenny Young.
Vander Esch was a first-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 2018. As a rookie, he was a second-team All-Pro. Last season, he had 77 combined tackles, four tackles for loss, and an interception.
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