Report: Titans frustrated by ‘lack of engagement’ with Jadeveon Clowney
With the way things are shaping up for the Tennessee Titans at EDGE, the team needs to get something done with free-agent pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney now more than ever.
However, it apparently hasn’t been an easy process to move forward with the player who is the biggest fish left on the free-agent market.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson, who was a guest on ESPN 102.5 The Game in Nashville, the Titans have been frustrated by the “lack of engagement” with Clowney, who the team wants to bring in for a physical.
Per @CharlesRobinson now on @1025TheGame : If Clowney will happen, next couple days. Titans frustrated by "lack of engagement," have wanted to get him in for a physical. He turned down $17-18M range from Browns. It's Titans or Seahawks. Seahawks around $12M. Titans likely similar
— Joe Rexrode (@joerexrode) September 3, 2020
To take it a step further, Clowney’s “lack of engagement” seems to be a trend with multiple teams, which is something his agent is apparently trying to fix. That’s no doubt a troubling sign and doesn’t instill much confidence that Clowney even wants to play this season.
More from @CharlesRobinson on Clowney, teams are saying they have implored Clowney's agent to get him involved in conversations, agent saying "he will try" to get Clowney to even get on phone with teams. "Teams are like, 'This is crazy.'"
— Joe Rexrode (@joerexrode) September 3, 2020
The small piece of good news we can glean off of this is that Clowney’s options appear to be limited if he does indeed plan on suiting up, which could lead to him signing for a relatively cheap price. As Robinson points out, his decision seems to be down to either the Titans or the Seattle Seahawks, the team he played with in 2019.
As we previously mentioned, things aren’t looking great for the Titans right now in terms of the pass-rush. Outside linebacker Vic Beasley reported late to training camp and has yet to practice with the team, leaving his status for Week 1 and the upcoming season up in the air.
Beyond Harold Landry, the Titans have more question marks. Kamalei Correa was solid at the end of last season, but has never been a starter for a full season. Derick Roberson and D’Andre Walker, the other two likely roster locks at the position, both lack experience.
Even if the Titans do sign Clowney, he will also be a question mark himself for the season opener.
After all, he’d be joining the Titans very late in the game and with just a week-and-a-half before the start of the regular season. There’s simply no telling what shape he’s in and what impact he could make in Week 1, if any.
On the flip side of that, it’s reasonable to believe that the former No. 1 overall pick could get acclimated rather quickly thanks to his experience playing under Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. He was the Houston Texans’ defensive coordinator in 2017, the same season Clowney totaled a career-high 9.5 sacks.
At this point, the Titans can’t be too stingy with Clowney if he does intend to sign somewhere in 2020. They desperately need a boost in the pass-rush if they want to compete for a Super Bowl in 2020, and Clowney could certainly provide that.
