The New York Giants are reportedly not going to land a contract with pending free-agent pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney.
After agreeing to terms with a number of different players over the last two days, the New York Giants reportedly won’t be landing one of the better pass rushers on the market.
According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN, a potential deal for Jadeveon Clowney is “not happening.” Clowney will officially become a free agent when the new league year commences (Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. ET).
Clowney spent the 2019 campaign with the Seahawks after the Houston Texans traded him there in August for multiple players and a third-round pick. During his time in Seattle, he racked up 31 combined tackles with seven tackles for loss, 13 quarterback hits, three sacks, and four forced fumbles.
The 27-year-old played for the Texans for five seasons after they selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 draft. He earned trips to three Pro Bowls during his time there. He was additionally named to the AP All-Pro second team in 2016.
It’s probably in the Giants’ best interest not to sign him, being that he’s seeking $22-23 million per year, according to SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano. That hefty of a price tag for a guy who’s yet to hit the double-digit sack mark in any season wouldn’t be the greatest deal on the Giants’ part.
So what does New York do now? Well, it seems more likely that they’ll look to bring back Markus Golden since most other pass rushers have been tagged by their respective teams. Golden will probably be a cheaper option than Clowney but would still bring great on-field production to this defense.
Last year — his first season in East Rutherford — Golden led the team with 10 sacks. He became the first Giant to reach the double-digit sack mark since Jason Pierre-Paul had 12.5 in 2014. Golden was also the first Giants linebacker to achieve that same feat since Lawrence Taylor recorded 10.5 sacks in 1990.