The Cleveland Browns, as I wrote about earlier this year, intend to give Myles Garrett a long-term contract extension this year as he heads into the fourth year of his five-year rookie contract, including his fifth-year option year. Garrett has made one Pro Bowl, and would have made another last year had he not been suspended for over a third of the season for assaulting another player on national television.
According to Mary Kay Cabot, that is not the only thing that the Browns are discussing with Bus Cook, his agent, however. They are also continuing to talk about another one of his clients: Jadeveon Clowney, easily the biggest name on the unrestricted free agent market remaining.
A couple of weeks back, it was reported that the Browns had had the most serious talks with Clowney’s representatives, and that he had turned down their offer, which was handily the largest that he has received. Essentially, it was conveyed as, if he wanted to play for the Browns, he would have signed by now.
But with other reports stating that the Seattle Seahawks, for whom he played last year, have not had talks with him for months, and with the Tennessee Titans also recently coming out and saying that they are not in the market for him, it’s hard to see what other options he has.
A former first-overall pick by the Houston Texans, Clowney took a couple of years to develop into himself, but he has become a noteworthy defender, even if he hasn’t become the game-wrecker that we saw from him in college.
For the moment, Olivier Vernon is the Browns’ other edge defender across from Garrett, but the former has had a number of injury issues, including last season. There was some consideration given to the possibility that Cleveland would even release the veteran, but that did not come to pass.
It becomes much more likely if the Browns wind up with Clowney, who would obviously start across from Garrett, in between Sheldon Richardson and Larry Ogunjobi and Andrew Billings in the middle, the latter having been a free agent signing this year.
