The Browns may have just cleared the way for DE Jadeveon Clowney to be wearing brown and orange this fall. DE Olivier Vernon has agreed to a restructured contract.
IMO when he didn't take the deal we offered him (reported: pretty darn good tbf) that should have been the end of it then. Dude way over-estimated his value in what was probably (not his fault) the worst year to do so.
Certainly seems like the team put their best foot forward in a very genuine way, which is rare and cool. I think Clowney's people thought it was an ongoing prod and parry and it's likely to cost him some money.
In the future, less messin' with Andrew Berry. He clearly doesn't f around.
Oh, I totally agree. Just wondering as an NFL fan. OV has been restructured and is spending time with Jed after practice ... he's being a model citizen in every way. Treating the front office right, and treating teammates right.
I'm not sure, as we sit here at the "first day in pads" day, there's any player I want to add ... barring a significant injury.
Looks like of the 3 players we had in Saturdey, Dunn won, and Leary didn't impress enough.
Dunn spent two years with Callahan in DC so he knows what he's getting... and apparently that's a good thing. That's how a lot of OL careers happen, at least when they start with UDFA or a 7th round pick.
One day, he's just a shrug addition, the next he's putting together a couple good games when someone gets dinged.
On Clowney? I never say never. He needs paid and the Browns have the money to do it with no real consequence. One year, 16m. We have like 44m to spare right now.
For 1 year and 15m, so less than allegedly offered by the Browns? In what way would that make sense? And let's not pretend the Titans are really better than the Browns, they just aren't. Last year wasn't real.
It has to mean the Browns information wasn't entirely right. If you're taking a short-term deal, a "prove it," you take the most money and you don't go to a shit team. Taking 18m from the Browns would've been the obvious play.
Might be that the Browns only wanted him if he committed to 3 years, or could be that he doesn't want to be the second pass rusher. If you're not #1, you don't get put in the most advantageous positions. You have to be 2nd priority.
Pete Smith saying he could be playing for a future Browns-Clowney engagement. We still have the money and apparently the interest. If the Browns are good, like win 10 games, and he earns a longer deal, I see the logic.
It's just so unusual for a player to take less money unless the space between the two teams is so enormous that he fears he'd get lost in a losing culture. I just don't believe anybody around the league feels that way about the Browns right now.
Just seems like there's something off about the whole tale, something that doesn't add up. If it were the 2017 Browns and Patriots? Sure. But it isn't.
The Browns offer was over a month ago. Before resigning Vernon. The Browns may have continued to sniff, but they obviously were no longer offering the $18M (if they ever did...again, source would have been the agent). Browns interest was likely significantly less after the Vernon deal...and that likely means the offer was too.
Totally agree, seems like the most likely eventual revelation. I'm thinking the Browns offer wasn't what was "leaked" by the agent and once they moved on to Vernon's deal, they were out.
I have a gut that was the offer on the 1-year, the amount he ended up with.
An inside look at wild backstory behind Saints' last-ditch effort to sign Jadeveon Clowney
by Tom Pelissero & Ian Rapoport
Making a final push late Saturday to land star pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney, the Saints got creative, attempting to pull off a move believed to be the first of its kind in NFL history – but couldn’t get final clearance from the league.
The Saints were working with another team towards a unique sign-and-trade deal that would’ve maneuvered around salary cap constraints to bring the free-agent Clowney to New Orleans. But talks fell apart over the NFL’s willingness to approve such a deal, and Clowney wound up agreeing to terms with the Tennessee Titans on a one-year deal late Saturday night.
According to sources informed of the talks, the Saints didn’t feel they could compete financially with the Titans’ offer – $12 million, plus $3 million in incentives – given budgetary reasons. So, they approached another team to find a workaround. (Sources didn’t confirm the other team, which hereafter is referred to as “Team X”, but it is believed to be the Cleveland Browns, who have ample cap space and a front office known for having a propensity for creativity, most memorably on display in their 2016 trade for quarterback Brock Osweiler.)
The sides discussed parameters of a deal in which Team X would’ve signed Clowney to a one-year, $15 million contract and paid him a $5 million signing bonus. Then, Team X would’ve immediately traded Clowney to the Saints, who would’ve sent Team X a second-round draft pick, as well as a player to take additional salary off New Orleans’ books. The Saints would’ve paid Clowney’s remaining $10 million salary.
Just one problem: The teams got word late Saturday the NFL was unlikely to approve such a deal.
Other teams have, in essence, paid cash for picks in the past, including the Browns, who agreed to take on Osweiler’s $16 million guaranteed salary in a deal that netted them a second-round draft pick. Last year, the Dolphins paid Ryan Tannehill a $5 million signing bonus on a restructured contract to send him to the Titans. And Clowney himself received a $7 million signing bonus last August from the Texans to help complete a trade to Seattle.
But several executives from different NFL teams said they couldn’t recall any other team executing such a deal involving a free agent who was literally only signed to trade him. One exec summed up the interpretation of the league’s bylaws as: “Fundamentally, you can’t trade cash.”
The Saints have long been willing to convert large base salaries to signing bonuses or add voidable years to contracts to free up short-term cap space. But there is great uncertainty about the 2021 salary cap, given a projected multibillion-dollar revenue shortfall related to COVID-19 that could cause it to drop from $198.2 million per club in 2020 to as little as $175 million. Entering this weekend’s cuts, the Saints had over $260 million in cap commitments for 2021, according to NFL Players Association records.
The Saints continued to try to rework their offer late into Saturday night, but without help, they couldn’t match the Titans’ offer. And after 5½ months on the free-agent market, Clowney decided to head to Tennessee instead.
We play Tennessee in week 13, so they get better. Good bulletin board material, though. Guy took a deal worth $3-4M less than we offered because he feels we can't win. It's also Conklin's first game back at his old stomping grounds.
It's a good way to look at it @The Brookster but the problem is that he didn't want to be here. It's always frustrating when we offer the most money but guys don't want to be here, especially if it's true that he wanted a contender (Apparently wanted the Ravens most but they were lukewarm, followed by Tennessee and New Orleans) and just doesn't view our team as one.
I'm just tired of being that team. Clowney not wanting to sign here, free agent Tony Jefferson saying he'd rather stay unemployed than play for the Browns. Gets annoying.
The sign-and-trade with the Saints for Clowney sounds like it would have been interesting. We essentially would have given up $5M for a second-round pick and a player.
It's frustrating to know it was all in place but the league wouldn't approve it. That's a very one sided deal for us, with the Saints clearly wanting to capitalize on possibly their last window with Brees at the helm.
They needed quite an offload to help with the cap situation, so I wonder which player it was. Marcus Davenport, perhaps?
Either way, it sounds like the NFL screwed us out of a very shrewd but beneficial move. And the worst part, I don't see how such a trade isn't technically legal. It's certainly taking advantage of a loophole, but it's bizarre to block teams from being creative just because the NFL hasn't closed the loophole yet. Browns and Saints deserve a, "Well played, you get this one by us before we close it."
I'd love to see it, the buzz is we offered Clowney way more than anyone else IIRC. Wouldn't be surprised if he saw the green and decided to come here. But was there not a report that Clowney didn't want to come here? While I didn't find anything along those lines I did find this: https://clutchpoints.com/browns-news-jadeveon-clowney-unlikely-to-sign-with-cleveland-after-olivier-vernon-contract-tweak/
I may have jumped the gun here. Today's news, according to several sources, ends the Browns pursuit of Jadeveon Clowney.
Good.
IMO when he didn't take the deal we offered him (reported: pretty darn good tbf) that should have been the end of it then. Dude way over-estimated his value in what was probably (not his fault) the worst year to do so.
Certainly seems like the team put their best foot forward in a very genuine way, which is rare and cool. I think Clowney's people thought it was an ongoing prod and parry and it's likely to cost him some money.
In the future, less messin' with Andrew Berry. He clearly doesn't f around.
Not meaning to bump this thread title, but WTH with Clowney? First day of real padded training camp for pretty much everyone.
I suppose he's "doin' that vet thing", but there's only 14 padded practices until game 1.
https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1295314715292438531
Ocon, my feeling is if Jadeveon had wanted to be here, it would have happened already. That ship has sailed.
Time to roll with the guys that do want to be here.
Oh, I totally agree. Just wondering as an NFL fan. OV has been restructured and is spending time with Jed after practice ... he's being a model citizen in every way. Treating the front office right, and treating teammates right.
I'm not sure, as we sit here at the "first day in pads" day, there's any player I want to add ... barring a significant injury.
Looks like of the 3 players we had in Saturdey, Dunn won, and Leary didn't impress enough.
Dunn spent two years with Callahan in DC so he knows what he's getting... and apparently that's a good thing. That's how a lot of OL careers happen, at least when they start with UDFA or a 7th round pick.
One day, he's just a shrug addition, the next he's putting together a couple good games when someone gets dinged.
On Clowney? I never say never. He needs paid and the Browns have the money to do it with no real consequence. One year, 16m. We have like 44m to spare right now.
Signing with Tennessee. What a prima donna.
https://twitter.com/diannaESPN/status/1302400247843508225?s=19
For 1 year and 15m, so less than allegedly offered by the Browns? In what way would that make sense? And let's not pretend the Titans are really better than the Browns, they just aren't. Last year wasn't real.
It has to mean the Browns information wasn't entirely right. If you're taking a short-term deal, a "prove it," you take the most money and you don't go to a shit team. Taking 18m from the Browns would've been the obvious play.
Might be that the Browns only wanted him if he committed to 3 years, or could be that he doesn't want to be the second pass rusher. If you're not #1, you don't get put in the most advantageous positions. You have to be 2nd priority.
Pete Smith saying he could be playing for a future Browns-Clowney engagement. We still have the money and apparently the interest. If the Browns are good, like win 10 games, and he earns a longer deal, I see the logic.
The guy took millions less to not play for us. Can't lie, that one hurts.
I don't look at it that way. If he wanted to be here, he would have signed here. He didn't want to be here.
I want no part of players that don't want to be here.
It's just so unusual for a player to take less money unless the space between the two teams is so enormous that he fears he'd get lost in a losing culture. I just don't believe anybody around the league feels that way about the Browns right now.
Just seems like there's something off about the whole tale, something that doesn't add up. If it were the 2017 Browns and Patriots? Sure. But it isn't.
The Browns offer was over a month ago. Before resigning Vernon. The Browns may have continued to sniff, but they obviously were no longer offering the $18M (if they ever did...again, source would have been the agent). Browns interest was likely significantly less after the Vernon deal...and that likely means the offer was too.
Totally agree, seems like the most likely eventual revelation. I'm thinking the Browns offer wasn't what was "leaked" by the agent and once they moved on to Vernon's deal, they were out.
I have a gut that was the offer on the 1-year, the amount he ended up with.
That AB... always working it! Team-X
An inside look at wild backstory behind Saints' last-ditch effort to sign Jadeveon Clowney by Tom Pelissero & Ian Rapoport
Making a final push late Saturday to land star pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney, the Saints got creative, attempting to pull off a move believed to be the first of its kind in NFL history – but couldn’t get final clearance from the league. The Saints were working with another team towards a unique sign-and-trade deal that would’ve maneuvered around salary cap constraints to bring the free-agent Clowney to New Orleans. But talks fell apart over the NFL’s willingness to approve such a deal, and Clowney wound up agreeing to terms with the Tennessee Titans on a one-year deal late Saturday night. According to sources informed of the talks, the Saints didn’t feel they could compete financially with the Titans’ offer – $12 million, plus $3 million in incentives – given budgetary reasons. So, they approached another team to find a workaround. (Sources didn’t confirm the other team, which hereafter is referred to as “Team X”, but it is believed to be the Cleveland Browns, who have ample cap space and a front office known for having a propensity for creativity, most memorably on display in their 2016 trade for quarterback Brock Osweiler.) The sides discussed parameters of a deal in which Team X would’ve signed Clowney to a one-year, $15 million contract and paid him a $5 million signing bonus. Then, Team X would’ve immediately traded Clowney to the Saints, who would’ve sent Team X a second-round draft pick, as well as a player to take additional salary off New Orleans’ books. The Saints would’ve paid Clowney’s remaining $10 million salary. Just one problem: The teams got word late Saturday the NFL was unlikely to approve such a deal. Other teams have, in essence, paid cash for picks in the past, including the Browns, who agreed to take on Osweiler’s $16 million guaranteed salary in a deal that netted them a second-round draft pick. Last year, the Dolphins paid Ryan Tannehill a $5 million signing bonus on a restructured contract to send him to the Titans. And Clowney himself received a $7 million signing bonus last August from the Texans to help complete a trade to Seattle. But several executives from different NFL teams said they couldn’t recall any other team executing such a deal involving a free agent who was literally only signed to trade him. One exec summed up the interpretation of the league’s bylaws as: “Fundamentally, you can’t trade cash.” The Saints have long been willing to convert large base salaries to signing bonuses or add voidable years to contracts to free up short-term cap space. But there is great uncertainty about the 2021 salary cap, given a projected multibillion-dollar revenue shortfall related to COVID-19 that could cause it to drop from $198.2 million per club in 2020 to as little as $175 million. Entering this weekend’s cuts, the Saints had over $260 million in cap commitments for 2021, according to NFL Players Association records. The Saints continued to try to rework their offer late into Saturday night, but without help, they couldn’t match the Titans’ offer. And after 5½ months on the free-agent market, Clowney decided to head to Tennessee instead.
We play Tennessee in week 13, so they get better. Good bulletin board material, though. Guy took a deal worth $3-4M less than we offered because he feels we can't win. It's also Conklin's first game back at his old stomping grounds.
It's a good way to look at it @The Brookster but the problem is that he didn't want to be here. It's always frustrating when we offer the most money but guys don't want to be here, especially if it's true that he wanted a contender (Apparently wanted the Ravens most but they were lukewarm, followed by Tennessee and New Orleans) and just doesn't view our team as one.
I'm just tired of being that team. Clowney not wanting to sign here, free agent Tony Jefferson saying he'd rather stay unemployed than play for the Browns. Gets annoying.
Oh I agree wholeheartedly with you BDU. That being said, the best way to show him he was wrong and what he is missing out on.....
Is to go kick the ever loving 💩 out of the Titans.
The sign-and-trade with the Saints for Clowney sounds like it would have been interesting. We essentially would have given up $5M for a second-round pick and a player.
It's frustrating to know it was all in place but the league wouldn't approve it. That's a very one sided deal for us, with the Saints clearly wanting to capitalize on possibly their last window with Brees at the helm.
They needed quite an offload to help with the cap situation, so I wonder which player it was. Marcus Davenport, perhaps?
Either way, it sounds like the NFL screwed us out of a very shrewd but beneficial move. And the worst part, I don't see how such a trade isn't technically legal. It's certainly taking advantage of a loophole, but it's bizarre to block teams from being creative just because the NFL hasn't closed the loophole yet. Browns and Saints deserve a, "Well played, you get this one by us before we close it."