Five available free agents who could still be the Redskins biggest signing
By Ian Cummings
No. 2 – Seattle Seahawks EDGE Jadeveon Clowney
When it comes down to it, I’d much rather have Chase Young at No. 2 than Jadeveon Clowney, or any big-ticket edge rusher via free agency. Young is seven years younger, and has comparable All-Pro upside. Getting that player on a four-year rookie deal isn’t just something you turn away from.
That said, the appeal with a free agent edge rusher isn’t that it takes Young away. That’s more of a necessary cost. The appeal is that it provides some flexibility with the No. 2 pick, in theory. Now, the Redskins may already be dead set on Chase Young, and no one could blame them. But if they’re not, then they have to consider signing Jadeveon Clowney, considering how slowly the market has materialized for the former Texans standout.
Recency bias may play a part in Clowney’s lack of a market, as the three-time Pro Bowler only logged 3.0 sacks in 11 games with Seattle in 2019. But he’s also reportedly asking for $20 million with his next contract, a figure that teams should be hesitant to match.
If Clowney doesn’t back down from that $20 million number, then it’s almost certainly going to have to come down. That’s when the Redskins could hypothetically make their move. Clowney isn’t the long-term asset that Young is, but he would allow the Redskins to open up their options at No. 2, and at 6-foot-5, 255, with 4.53 speed and a 37.5-inch vertical, he’s a near-elite athlete in his own right.