The Carolina Panthers opted to release outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney just one year after they signed him last offseason. This has opened the door for any team in the league, including the New York Jets, to sign the former No. 1 overall pick to a deal.
Mike Luciano of The Jet Press thinks it would be a good idea to sign Clowney and recently urged the Jets to do so before it's too late.
"Clowney was released by his hometown Panthers just one year after he signed with them," Luciano wrote. "Even as his pass rush upside starts to slowly ebb away in his old age, Clowney's run defense and ability to disrupt at the line of scrimmage is absolutely worth taking a flier on if the price is right.
"Considering the fact that Clowney took a major hometown discount and signed with Carolina after they were the worst team in the league in 2023, the former No. 1 overall pick might be willing to join the Jets over ring-chasing elsewhere if they can make him an offer that will appeal."
The Jets need to add a pass rusher as badly as anybody. While Clowney isn't the same player he was in his prime, the 32-year-old has been productive over the last few seasons.
Clowney recorded 5.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss, and four passes defensed last season for the Panthers. If the Jets were to sign him, it's not like they would be expecting to land an All-Pro. Clowney would fit the team perfectly as a rotational piece of their pass rush unit.
