Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider will not be afraid to keep adding to the team's defense. He saw the team's improvement under first-year head coach Mike Macdonald last season, and there is no reason to reinvent the wheel. The team brought back all the key defensive players from 2024.
While Seattle did not take but two defensive players out of their 11 2025 draft selections, Schneider did sign Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence in free agency. He is more like icing on a great cake than someone filling a massive hole. Lawrence should succeed because of a limited role.
Schneider might not be done, either. The Seahawks should contact defensive end Jadeveon Clowney to test his interest in returning to Seattle. He played for the team in 2019. His sack totals were not high, but 12s can attest to his overall effectiveness. He is excellent against the run, too.
Jadeveon Clowney says the words that should get Seahawks fans excited
One advantage Seattle has is that Macdonald and Clowney worked together before, and the player had one of his best seasons under Macdonald. That was just two seasons ago when Macdonald was the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, and Clowney played for the team.
That year, the edge rusher had 9.5 sacks, played in all 17 games (a rarity for Clowney), and had 28 run stuffs. Like Lawrence, Clowney would be effective with the Seahawks because he wouldn't be expected to play more than 60 percent of the snaps. He played 57 percent of them with the Ravens in 2023.
Clowney is 32 years old but isn't ready to stop playing yet. In a recent interview with The Athletic, the edge rusher expressed he was prepared to help any team that wanted him after the Carolina Panthers released him this offseason.
Clowney said, "I'm definitely gonna play well. You can mark my word on that. I played with a bunch of guys that was hurt this past year. And I ended up playing extremely well for them. So it is what it is. I can play the game. I can play football. There are 31 other teams. I just hope another team gives me that opportunity so I can prove myself again. I feel like I can do that."
Historically, Clowney has waited to sign with a team in free agency until closer to the beginning of the regular season. He might not even sign until well into training camp. It appears that he wants to play games rather than practice a lot.
But the above only makes Clowney a better fit for the Seahawks than other teams. He already knows what Macdonald wants, and the head coach knows what the player can do. It would not take Clowney long to acclimate to the Seahawks' defense.
His presence would also allow young edge rushers Boye Mafe and Derick Hall (plus veterans DeMarcus Lawrence and Uchenna Nwosu) to stay fresher. Seattle's pass rush would be formidable. The Seahawks still have over $30 million in cap room, so the team can easily afford Clowney.
