All roads lead to Rome for veteran defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. It was announced yesterday that he’d be returning to the team who selected him first overall back in 2014. He joins an extremely talented defensive end room to bolster the depth and provide veteran experience on a team hoping to make a deep playoff run. With this breaking news, I urgently asked the other writers to provide their thoughts on Clowney playing in Houston one last time.
Jadeveon Clowney has re-signed with the Houston Texans. Give me your immediate reaction, are you excited for his return, and how much of an impact will he have?
Patrick H.
Honestly, I’m way more on board with this than I thought
I would be. He provides much needed depth at defensive end. He fills in for Derek Barnett’s absence, and received rave reviews from his coaching staff in Arlington. Last season he was one sack short of his career season high while playing in only 13 games. To add him makes this defense much more terrifying and puts that much more pressure on the offense to un[kitten] themselves and lead us to the promised land.
VBallRetired
I wrote a Value of Things (VOT) earlier this spring on possibly adding a defensive end. He was one of those guys. Essentially, when Houston lost Autry and other depth pieces, it opened the door for this kind of move. Ostensibly, Houston needed backup for Anderson and Hunter. For one, it allows them to take some plays off, to be fresh in the fourth quarter, and to step in case of injury. I like the move. Clowney is a starting quality end when motivated and it sounds like he is.
Fizzy Joe
I agree with Patrick and VBall, I think this is a great move made that much better as it’s a reunion between Jadeveon Clowney and his first team. Houston’s consistent success during the DeMeco Ryans era has allowed them to quickly shake off the rust and baggage of the Bill O’Brien era. Signing Clowney after all of these years is another reminder of how far we’ve come.
He left via a trade surrounded by controversy and frustration across the fanbase. Now, he returns as another weapon in an already loaded defensive arsenal. As for the player, I still think Clowney is one of the most underrated DEs in the modern NFL. He’s one of the best run-defenders along the defensive line who was still a free agent. He immediately fills in the hole left by Derek Barnett and Denico Autry (even thought I’d still like Autry back, even for just his field goal blocking abilities) as a rotational edge rusher that can take the load off of Will Anderson or Danielle Hunter. Clowney’s speed when setting the edge makes him a starting-caliber player on many other teams. He’ll get plenty of playing time this year, and he’s going to feed off of being on the same line as Anderson/Hunter, Sheldon Rankins, and Kayden McDonald. He adds another layer of swarm to the defensive line, with the ceiling of being a real impact player on a weekly basis.
So…yeah I’m kinda excited about Clowney coming back lol Still…wish they’ve would’ve got Calais Campbell when they had the chance…
L4Blitzer
I like the move. Clowney is a rotational player at this point, but that hasn’t hurt him that much. Clowney did give Dallas 8.5 sacks, and he didn’t play the entire year for a really-not-good Cowboy D. He also gave Cleveland and Baltimore solid play over the last few seasons. On a 1 yr/$8M-type deal, this won’t hurt the team much if it goes south. If Clowney can offer the type of play he showed in his last couple of stops, this is a huge bonus for the Texans. Granted, if Hunter or Anderson miss significant time, Clowney isn’t going to fully replace them. Overall, great depth signing.
Kenneth L.
I too anticipated Clowney, among other former Texans veterans, to re-sign this training camp. I mentioned that “out of all the names on this list, Clowney might be the best fit. He’s no longer a full‑time starter, but he plays with remarkable endurance and understands his role. Houston needs an edge‑setter with real pass‑rush juice, and Clowney delivered exactly that for the Cowboys last season”.
Where I like Clowney the most is on third-down packages where he can move inside next to Anderson or Hunter and rush the passer from the DT spot. That will open up a myriad of opportunities for Houston. Not only is he savvy against the run, but his strength and length pair well with the type of pass rush responsibilities DeMeco Ryans prefers. Do I still wish they drafted a second-round DE instead of TE “Sideline” Marlin Klein, absolutely, but this is a fantastic short-term stop-gap.
Oh, and the Texans re-signed Mario Edwards. This defense is going to be absurd.
