The Cleveland Browns have their menacing defensive line back.
Myles Garrett is still with the squad by virtue of the five-year, $125 million contract he signed in 2020.
However, it looked like Jadeveon Clowney might go elsewhere after the Browns didn’t initially offer a new contract.
The 2022 NFL Draft came and Clowney was still a free agent.
Finally, both parties came to terms as the right defensive end signed a one-year deal to remain in Cleveland.
He could have been a hot commodity when the Browns allowed him to explore other options.
But the deep pool of edge rushers in the draft meant that teams could fill that position of need without paying the price that Clowney could have commanded.
It doesn’t mean, though, that Clowney did not field offers from other squads.
In fact, NFL Network national insider Ian Rapoport revealed that money wasn’t an issue for the former South Carolina standout.
Instead, he really wanted to play for the Browns even on a lower compensation.
Clowney wanted to be back in Cleveland. How badly? He turned down $14M to $15M a year offers from other teams on multi-year deals to go back. https://t.co/DXRybXoUfI
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 22, 2022
Rapoport tweeted, “Clowney wanted to be back in Cleveland. How badly? He turned down $14M to $15M a year offers from other teams on multi-year deals to go back.”
That amount of money could have been a good pay day for the defensive end.
However, he felt at home with the Browns, making his return a no-brainer.
Browns Showing Promise On Both Ends
Clowney’s return gives the Browns a two-headed monster of pass rushers in him and Garrett.
Aside from the push up front, they also have Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome II, and John Johnson III in the secondary.
Their offense can also perform well in 2022 with Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, Amari Cooper, and David Njoku.
Signing Deshaun Watson is a huge deal, but an impending suspension might cause the Browns to rely on their potent running attack.
NEXT: Deshaun Watson Is Trying To Build Chemistry With His New Teammates