Jadeveon Clowney Admits He Almost Signed With Falcons This Offseason

The Cleveland Browns managed to keep their defense together this offseason by signing defensive end Jadeveon Clowney to a one-year, $11 million deal back in May. However, the veteran defender revealed on Thursday that staying in Cleveland wasn't necessarily his first choice.

Clowney admitted to reporters that he wanted to see how the Browns' offense looked before signing a deal. In fact, the 29-year-old strongly considered joining the Atlanta Falcons for the same reason that he decided to stick with the Browns: quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Cleveland Browns News

Clowney clarified that he wanted to play with Watson during the 2022 NFL season. The duo spent the 2017 and 2018 campaigns together on the Houston Texans and all signs pointed to the Falcons being the frontrunners for the QB this offseason before the Browns upped their bid.

One of the main reasons that Clowney wants to play with Watson is that he believes the gunslinger can help the team put up more points, keeping the Browns' D off the field. If Watson can indeed put up more points, Clowney should get more pass-rush opportunities, which he said he's looking for rather than constantly needing to stop the run.

If Watson can show that he hasn't missed a beat since the 2020 season, Clowney's goal will likely be met. The 26-year-old QB threw for 4,823 passing yards and 33 touchdowns to seven interceptions on 544 attempts that year.

At the same time, Clowney may want to temper expectations. Watson's legal battle is far from over, and many expect him to miss at least some of the 2022 season. In other words, Clowney might want to put on his best run-stopping shoes if Jacoby Brissett is forced to handle quarterback duties.

Even without Watson, the Browns have a much better roster than the Falcons, meaning Clowney probably made the right choice to stay in Cleveland.

Assuming Watson plays this fall, he and Clowney help legitimize the Browns as a championship option. FanDuel Sportsbook currently has Cleveland available at +2000 to win Super Bowl LVII, which ties them with the Baltimore Ravens for the 10th-best odds league-wide.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.