Veteran defensive end Jadeveon Clowney silenced doubts with impactful play. Could he return to bolster the Cowboys' defense next season?
Now that the Dallas Cowboys are done with opposing other teams, it's time for the Joneses to face off against agents.
As Dallas prepares for the offseason, a major issue will be identifying the few defensive bright spots and ensuring they remain in place.
One player the Cowboys could be prioritizing to continue wearing the star is defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.
Clowney was a late addition this season, a move made due to Dallas struggling to generate a consistent pass rush following the trade of Pro Bowler Micah Parsons to Green Bay. His mid-September signing came shortly after a near loss to the Giants, a game in which the Cowboys scored 40 points but still allowed 37 on defense.
Entering his 12th NFL season at age 32, many questioned whether Clowney could still make a meaningful impact or if he would merely serve as a veteran presence in a young locker room. He quickly silenced those doubts. Within five games of arriving in Dallas, Clowney tallied 13 tackles and one sack, earning a starting role the following week against the Arizona Cardinals. In his first start, he once again stood out, recording five tackles and another sack.
Clowney quickly became a key piece of a struggling defense that spent much of the season near the bottom of the league. In a unit short on consistent production, he emerged as one of the few genuine positives.
Entering Sunday's season finale at New York? In just 12 games with Dallas, the veteran had 35 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks.
And by gosh, he recorded three more sacks!
Looking ahead, Dallas’s offseason plans should place far less emphasis on the offensive side of the ball and far more on fixing the defense ... or at least, that’s what Cowboys fans are hoping. With additional draft capital acquired through recent trades, the front office has the opportunity to add impact defenders via the draft, trades, and free agency.
Clowney - with 8.5 sacks in 13 games - should be among the few players on the Cowboys defense whom Jerry Jones makes a concerted effort to bring back.
Stephen Jones echoed that sentiment recently on 105.3 The Fan, expressing the team’s desire to re-sign the veteran.
“We’ll be talking with his guys right away,'' Jones said. "With his willingness to want to be here and us wanting him to be here, hopefully we can figure something out.”
And it’s easy to see why, as he’s one of the few players whose impact makes it hard to find a downside, bringing multiple qualities to the table that justify another contract with the team.
Looking beyond his age (he'll be 33 next season), we see three areas where it makes sense to bring him back ...
Value: Not only does Jadeveon Clowney contribute on the field, but his contract value is also highly favorable given his age and experience in the league. While he is past his prime and beyond the typical age range for a starting defensive end, the production he provides at a modest cost makes him well worth retaining.
In September, Clowney signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal with Dallas, and any extension would likely fall in a similar range for another short-term commitment.
Can he be had for something similar?
A small financial commitment over a short period carries little downside, especially for a defense in need of reliable contributors.
Performance: While Clowney may be well beyond his prime, he still plays at a level that allows him to produce in today’s league. He may no longer be the game-changing force he once was, but he remains an asset rather than a liability. For a team that struggled up front defensively and lacks depth along the line, Clowney is a valuable piece whose role is worth maintaining.
Leadership: Clowney is set to enter his 13th NFL season next year. With that level of experience, along with a decorated career that includes three Pro Bowl selections, he provides a valuable veteran presence in the locker room.
With several young defensive draft picks likely joining the roster this offseason and emerging players already on the team, like Donovan Ezeiruaku, having Clowney as a mentor is exactly what Dallas would want as it looks toward the future.
Our only argument here is the idea that Clowney should be a "priority,'' which Stephen Jones seems to be suggesting.
The Cowboys should be considering an extension, sure. But there have to be major improvements to this defense, and they have to come from outside the building.
A word like "priority'' fits with, say, a trade for the Raiders' Maxx Crosby (see above) ... with Clowney as a supplemental move to those sort of improvements.