Browns: Jadeveon Clowney isn’t worth the pursuit

This feels like a remake. It’s like we’ve done it before. As Cleveland Browns fans we sat by last year and watched the Jadeveon Clowney saga play out in slow motion. It took nearly half a year for the Browns to get clarity on Clowney, watching him wait until September to sign with the Tennessee Titans. The Browns cannot wait until September to decide on what to do with the defense.

Not again.

If Clowney isn’t signed by the draft, then the Browns need to move on from him and focus on guys who are actually able to produce to the level they’re expected to.

While Clowney is a great defensive end against the run, he’s never been the pass rusher he’s supposed to be. Now, some will argue he’s actually “deceptively good”, which is a joke. He’s not. He was the first player taken in his draft class and he’s never registered double-digit sack seasons.

Do you know who has? Khalil Mack, Dee Ford, and DeMarcus Lawerence to name a few. They’re not the only ones either, they’re just the obvious ones. Clowney isn’t worth the headache he makes teams go through.

The Browns need to draft defensive end come draft time, but will they be able to pull the trigger, so to speak, if Clowney is still a free agent? Will they still pursue him even if they draft a rookie in the first round to play defensive end? How will that affect his ability to grow and develop as a player if Clowney is taking reps?

These are questions that only complicate the matter. Clowney has shown to be his own guy when it comes to making decisions and that’s fine, but the Browns can’t spend another four and a half months pursuing a guy. Not when both of their big signings, Troy Hill and John Johnson, signed within the first week of being a free agent. They wanted to be in Cleveland, so they came here and signed on.

Does Clowney want to be in Cleveland? One has to imagine the answer is no, because this is now the second time they’ve pursued him, and he’s still yet to sign. What’s the holdup?

No, it’s time to move on from Clowney. The draft could net the Browns a great player, and that should be their focus.