K.C. Chiefs: Jadeveon Clowney deserves a look at this point in free agency

The K.C. Chiefs made a big addition to the defensive line this past Sunday when they signed former Seahawks defensive tackle Jarran Reed to a one-year deal. While the signing will surely help out the pass rush and give Chris Jones and Frank Clark a helpful teammate, the Chiefs still have a need at the edge spot opposite of Clark. The Chiefs didn’t get much pass rush from the edge position in 2020 and the run defense on the other side of Frank Clark was not competent.

With that being said, there are still plenty of free agent defensive ends out there for the Chiefs to look at. They already met with former Chargers defensive end Melvin Ingram but nothing has come of it. So, what about Jadeveon Clowney? First, I know what many are thinking, The script typically reads, “Clowney is a bust” or “Clowney is always hurt”. Trust me, I’ve heard it all. At this point in free agency, most players are still available because of some sort of concern like injuries and Clowney is definitely apart of that group. However, he is still one of the most talented free agents out there, and the truth is he would only be a stop-gap player at the position.

While Clowney only played 8 games in 2020 due to a knee injury, he hasn’t been all that terrible with injuries. He’s still played 49 of a possible 64 games over the last 4 seasons and if Clowney were to come to K.C., he wouldn’t have the same load on him that he’s had at other stops which would, in theory, negate most availability concerns. He could rotate on the other side of the line with Taco Charlton and Mike Danna as well as whoever the Chiefs might draft, which would give Kansas City a much more formidable group than they had in 2020.

The timing is right for the K.C. Chiefs to consider Jadeveon Clowney.

It also needs to be stated that Clowney is still a very good player. Yes, he hasn’t lived up to his top-five pick potential he once had and he hasn’t exactly been super productive on paper, but honestly, the hate on Clowney has become so widespread that he has kind of become underrated in a way. You know how we make excuses for some players who don’t have super high sack numbers because they’re good run defenders and may or may not still generate a lot of pressure? Well, that’s literally Jadeveon Clowney.

While Clowney did not have a single sack in 2020, he still tallied a pressure every 5.9 pass rush snaps and had a higher pass rushing grade than anyone at the position on K.C.’s roster last season. Clowney hasn’t had outstanding sack numbers the past few years, but he’s consistently been among the top in the league in getting pressures with 41 over his last 19 games. Oh, and remember those charts that ESPN’s Seth Walder creates each season that shows pass rush win rate and double-team rate among defensive ends? Check out where Clowney ranks compared to some other Chiefs defensive ends on that chart from last season.

Bottom line, Clowney could do some damage on this current Chiefs defensive line. If he’s that good at creating pressure and forcing the quarterback to move, imagine what he could do with the Chiefs line that already has Jarran Reed, Chris Jones, and Frank Clark. Try stopping that on third downs. Not to mention, Clowney is a great scheme fit for Steve Spagnuolo. At 6’5″, 255 lbs, Clowney has great size and has also proven to be a really good run-stopper which is something he doesn’t get enough credit for. A defensive end that gets pressure and can set the edge like Clowney is just what this team needs and could give the Chiefs a truly dominant defensive line all across the board.

Clowney’s market has been pretty slow so far so there’s a chance the Chiefs could jump in and try to add him on a team-friendly one-year deal if he’s willing to do so. Even though it may be unlikely the Chiefs spend any more money on the defensive line this offseason, they should do it for Clowney because their biggest issue outside of offensive line in the Super Bowl was the defensive line and their inability to get pressure on Tom Brady.

Football is won in the trenches. The though of Kansas City bolstering both sides of the line this offseason would make fans feel a lot better about their chances in ’21, and it also gives them flexibility in the draft, pushing defensive end a little further down the list of needs.