The idea of adding Jadeveon Clowney (or any pass rusher) makes little sense for the Chiefs.
The idea sounds great, on the surface.
Take the defending champions, who already have a loaded roster featuring every single impact starter on both sides of the ball returning for another season, and add a wrecking ball of a pass rusher to the mix. Jadeveon Clowney and the Kansas City Chiefs? You can start engraving that third Lombardi.
It’s here, and only here, that the idea makes any sense at all—that the Chiefs should invest the cap room created in recent days by restructured deals, player opt outs, and others released on a sexy new import. Basically, if the team’s focus is solely on the short term, about their ability to win one more championship and put together a rare feat of back-to-back championships,, then yes, they should sign a player like Jadeveon Clowney.
If they’re interested in a dynasty, they need to let this moment pass.
For those on the outside of all this, a quick explainer: the NFL is only weeks away from beginning (the Chiefs host the Houston Texans in just under one month) and Clowney, one of the premiere pass rushers in the league who is in his prime, remains unsigned. At this point, the long-term deal he has been reportedly waiting for has yet to materialize, and the longer that he waits, the lower any potential offer is likely to drop.
At this point, Clowney is going to have to learn a system, prove he’s healthy from COVID-19, work himself into game shape, and develop any chemistry with teammates in only three weeks if he wants to be a Week 1 contributor. That’s a tall order but it can be done. And since his price tag has presumably fallen into a lower range (again, this is all conjecture), a team like the Chiefs might be able to step in with an offer he can’t refuse—one that includes the chance to win a ring.
Again, it sounds great on the surface. A defensive line of Clowney, Frank Clark, and Chris Jones is indefensible and leaves little doubt that the Chiefs would represent the AFC in the Super Bowl once again. Given the fact that it took the Chiefs 50 years to get their second championship, maybe it’s worth pushing the pedal all the way down to see how far this iteration of the roster can go.
But when you hear Patrick Mahomes or Brett Veach or Andy Reid discuss the hopes for the Chiefs in the years to come, the idea of building a long-term competitor is expressed. These Chiefs don’t want to string back-to-back championships together only to completely dismantle it all in 2021 and beyond. The goal, instead, is to remain at the top through long-term strategic planning on the financial end.
According to Over the Cap, the Chiefs have $13.9 million in salary cap space available to them. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif has opted out for the 2020 season. Damien Williams has, too. Lucas Niang won’t officially be an NFL rookie until next season for the same reasons. Given other financial maneuvers, the Chiefs now have nearly $14 million with which to do something.
The wisest move would be to stash that money away for next season, which would allow them to roll over that cap space for the 2021 season. Next year, the NFL is going to likely see the cap ceiling drop by some number, perhaps even as much as $23 million. In 2020, the cap went up another $10 million to $198M overall, but next year, the negotiated floor (due to revenue losses attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic) is $175 million.
Given the number of expensive deals already on the books for 2021 and beyond, as well as the sheer number of free agents coming next year for the team, the Chiefs are going to need as much financial flexibility as possible moving forward.
When the Dallas Cowboys signed Everson Griffin earlier this week for only $6 million, it made sense to wonder if another contender could find Clowney available for a similar deal. If the Chiefs can somehow convince such a performer to come to town for pennies on the dollar, that’s a deal worth pursuing. However, if Clowney is going to eat up all or most of that cap space, it’s a short-sighted move intended to go all the way in 2020 by sacrificing the future.
The reality is that the Chiefs already have the talent and coaching in place to win it all again, with or without another pass rusher. Sometimes a dessert is already sweet enough without having to add yet another topping. The Chiefs are one such treat, one that’s ready to run it back without any further additions. In fact, if they maintain as much financial flexibility as possible, they could establish the league’s next dynasty.