Clowney says OT Brown bought him on Seattle
Brady HendersonESPN
RENTON, Wash. — The deal that introduced Jadeveon Clowney to the Seattle Seahawks got here all the way down to the wire, in response to coach Pete Carroll, and had been on common supervisor John Schneider’s radar for a number of months earlier than it was accomplished over the weekend.
In between, an necessary telephone name from Duane Brown helped make it occur.
Brown promoting Clowney on the town and the staff helped the Seahawks land the Professional Bowl pass-rusher, capping off an eventful six months throughout which he was franchise-tagged by the Houston Texans, stayed away from them as he sought a long-term deal and met with the Miami Dolphins earlier than Seattle received out.
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“Phew,” Clowney stated when requested how loopy the method that led him to Seattle has been. “Very loopy.”
He spoke with reporters Monday, having taken off the No. 91 jersey that he wore throughout his first follow with the staff, one quantity larger than what he wore for his 5 seasons in Houston. Carroll stated Clowney is in line to play in Sunday’s opener towards the visiting Cincinnati Bengals.
“He is a uncommon soccer participant,” Carroll stated of Clowney, who has made three consecutive Professional Bowls and totaled 18.5 sacks over the previous two seasons. “He is acquired particular expertise that almost all guys simply do not have. It is nice quickness, his response time, the size that he can use, his skill to run, his instincts. He is made plenty of performs within the backfield over time, instinctive performs, penetrating and inflicting issues, and we plan to permit him to try this in our scheme. It’s going to match very well with what we’re doing. We noticed an amazing match whether or not it is third down or early downs. So he is just about acquired what you are searching for.”
It was a few month in the past that Clowney acquired a name from Brown, his teammate in Houston from his 2014 rookie season to when Brown was dealt to Seattle on the commerce deadline in 2017. Clowney requested Brown how he likes it in Seattle.
“He was like, ‘It’s good to come play with us. You may adore it right here. Nice climate. It isn’t scorching like Houston. Nice fan assist. Different nice teammates on this staff. Come be part of one thing nice,'” Clowney recalled. “I used to be like, ‘Man, what? I’ll look into that, attempt to stand up there with you guys.'”
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Texans head coach Invoice O’Brien is happy to have added “confirmed gamers to the roster” regardless of giving up three excessive draft picks.
And as a franchise-tagged participant who had but to signal his tender — which means he wasn’t below contract and could not be traded till he was — Clowney had a substantial amount of say about the place he would find yourself. That was the concept all alongside.
“I simply actually tried to take management of what I might management, so far as the place might I play at and the way might I be traded, so far as that,” he stated. “I used to be simply taking that into consideration. It was like, ‘If I do not signal the tag, possibly I might determine the place I find yourself going,’ and I acquired someplace I wished to be. That is what occurred.”
Along with Brown giving his recruiting pitch, he gave the Seahawks his stamp of approval on Clowney. Particularly, Carroll stated Brown vouched for Clowney’s work ethic, the topic of questions earlier in his profession.
“With out query, Duane helped us via the method in making us know who we’re coping with and the participant he used to follow towards and his capabilities, potential habits, background, household,” Carroll stated. “We actually had plenty of insights due to Duane.”
Duane Brown was Jadeveon Clowney’s teammate in Houston for three-plus seasons and performed an important function in recruiting the defensive finish to Seattle. Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports activities
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Texans gave Clowney a $7 million signing bonus and that the Seahawks are paying him solely an $eight million wage. Carroll confirmed Schefter’s report that the Seahawks agreed to not franchise Clowney, 26, on the finish of this season, calling it one thing they needed to do to get the deal accomplished. He lauded Schneider’s persistence in pursuing Clowney and the job he and vp of soccer administration Matt Thomas did in finishing the commerce with all of the transferring components surrounding the Saturday afternoon deadline for groups to set trim their rosters to 53.
“There was about 20 seconds earlier than 1 o’clock [Sunday],” he stated. “It was proper to the nub. We’re an extended methods away from Houston, and plenty of stuff might occur in between, and actually, we’re all sitting within the workplace up there. J.D. is there and his agent and Matt and John and I, and we’re sitting there wanting on the clock, ready for the phrase to come back again. So it was actually, there was plenty of drama to it. So it was enjoyable that we have been capable of pull it off, and actually, we did not know proper till the very finish.”
Clowney cited the enchantment of taking part in with Russell Wilson as a consider wanting to affix the Seahawks, together with attending to play finish in Carroll’s Four-Three protection. Clowney — listed on Seattle’s roster at 6-foot-5 and 255 kilos — stated he can placed on weight understanding he will not should drop into protection towards tight ends as he ceaselessly did as an out of doors linebacker in Houston’s Three-Four.
Carroll stated there’s “no query he is actually in good condition” primarily based on what he has seen from Clowney thus far. Clowney skilled for the majority of the offseason in Miami and extra not too long ago in Houston.
“I do know that Jadeveon was actually involved about being prepared for this season arising,” Carroll stated. “He would inform you he put collectively the most effective offseason he is ever had. … He was actually wholesome going via the method with the bodily and all that sort of stuff, so he is in nice form in that regard. Every little thing is actually constructive.”
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Carroll stated there may be “with out query” an opportunity Clowney stays part of Seattle’s plans past 2019. Clowney punted on that when he was requested about it, saying he is not considering that far forward.
“I am nonetheless attempting to determine the place the cafeteria is at and the place the locker room is,” he stated with fun. “It is all complicated.”
Clowney’s first precedence: getting up to the mark in Seattle’s scheme in time to play Sunday, when he’ll line up on the alternative finish from fellow newcomer Ziggy Ansah, offered neither participant has any setbacks in follow this week.
When requested if he might have imagined his scenario understanding higher than it did as soon as he determined he wished out of Houston, Clowney supplied a clarification.
“I do not assume I made a decision that,” he stated. “They determined that. I did not don’t have any say-so in that. I simply held the playing cards of the place I finish [up] taking part in at. They determined to get me out.
“However like I stated, I am grateful for the chance I had in Houston. They drafted me No. 1 total. Nice alternatives down there. I met some nice guys on that employees and nice, nice teammates. I am simply glad to be a part of this staff now. I am simply attempting to look ahead. I ain’t wanting again.”