The veteran pass rusher Clowney ended the year with a bang, but should the Cowboys bring him back?
The Dallas Cowboys' defense will likely be where most of the transaction action takes place this offseason, either through free agency or the draft.
With so many holes to plug for the incoming defensive coordinator, exactly where to start is a tough assignment.
Let's go with ...
Maybe starting with which players you want to retain.
And one that Dallas might be wise in bringing back is veteran defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.
He's easily one of the success stories for the defense, as Jadeveon finished with 8.5 sacks, to lead the Cowboys in that category. The fact that he accomplished that coming off the couch isn't a great look for Dallas' other pass rushers.
Now a free agent, what exactly will Dallas do?
For most, it is a no-brainer to bring Clowney back, but money talks, and it isn't known if he would be willing to go on a one-year deal again after his exploits this season.
But our own Mike Fisher predicts he will.
"His 8.5 sacks, his high motor and his locker-room presence cause the Cowboys - and he says, causes him - to be willing to break the mold on his usual one-year-at-a-time mercenary style," Fish wrote. "He’s even talked of wanting to re-sign early enough to take part in Dallas’ full offseason program.
"The trick here is that he might want to be paid like a starter while Dallas views him as a spot player. Dallas re-signs Clowney on a one-year, $6 million deal."
The big thing Fish mentions here is his locker-room presence.
With the Cowboys having nothing but pride to play for, Clowney made it clear in the season's final weeks that he didn't lack any motivation.
"They're paying me, that's all the motivation I need," he said.
Brian Schottenheimer needs more of that mentality in the locker room.
Clowney, getting ready to turn the ripe old age of 33, still showed he can wreck a game, with his three sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, four tackles for loss, and three quarterback hits against the Giants.
Now, will he be a starter? We're told that's not the plan.
But having Jadeveon on this roster in 2026 appears to be a slam-dunk.
It's just a question of money.