Blogging The Boys
The Dallas Cowboys did not do much of anything well on the defensive side of the ball this season. The Cowboys were undoubtedly one of the worst defenses of the modern era, finishing the season allowing the most total points (511) and recording the worst defensive EPA/Play (0.162) of any defense in the NFL since 2020.
While you could likely count the positives to come out of the defense on one hand, one win for the much-maligned Dallas defense was the performance of veteran defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. After the Micah Parsons deal, the Cowboys signed the former number one overall pick to a one-year deal back in mid-September, hoping the veteran could be a good rotational pass rusher on their defense.
To their surprise, Clowney ended up being the best performing player on the entire defensive unit, putting together one of the better seasons of his career. At age 32, the former South Carolina Gamecock recorded 40 total pressures, 29 QB Hurries, and nine sacks, all the most of any defender on Dallas’ roster.
Clowney also posted a very respectable 16.7% pass-rush win rate, the highest of any defender on the team, and his 80.6 pass-rush grade was top-15 in the NFL and the highest of his career to date.
On a pass rush unit that put together an extremely disappointing season, Clowney was the one player who had a consistent presence and was able to generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The veteran finished the season with his best day of the year against the New York Giants, recording a season-high three sacks in the loss.
After Dallas’ season-ending loss to the Giants, Clowney made it clear he would be interested in re-signing with the Cowboys after a career-year.
With how good Clowney was this season, especially compared to the rest of Dallas’ defensive end group, the Cowboys need to act fast and make retaining the veteran a top priority this offseason.
This year’s free agency class features some talented edge rushers, headlined by Trey Hendrickson, Khalil Mack, and Joey Bosa, but those players will all demand a multi-year commitment at a much higher price than the 32-year-old veteran Clowney will. This could make Clowney a much more attractive free agent option to other teams, giving Dallas even more of an incentive to lock him up before he hits the open market in March.
Spotrac projects Clowney’s value on the open market at a one-year, $5.7M deal, which seems low considering how well he performed last season. At his advanced age, Clowney will likely be looking for a higher AAV on a one-or-two year deal, as this may be his last chance to cash in. If the Cowboys were to offer the veteran a deal worth $10M for one year or $20M for two years, that may be enough to keep him in Dallas.
All in all, the Dallas Cowboys need to make retaining Jadeveon Clowney a top priority this offseason. Clowney needs to be back in Dallas helping...
