The Detroit Lions are still hunting for help off the edge, and Jadeveon Clowney stands out as the best name left on the board.
Clowney is coming off one of the strongest seasons of his career with the Dallas Cowboys, and he’s now reportedly in contact with one of his former teams. The Cleveland Browns are in the mix for a reunion, which leaves Detroit weighing whether it wants to step up or risk watching a real difference-maker land elsewhere.
That’s where the Lions’ approach gets tricky. If they let Clowney slip away, they could end up leaning on a rookie and a journeyman in a role that matters a lot for a season with major long-term ramifications. That’s a tough gamble when the player available is someone who can help take pressure off Aidan Hutchinson.
Clowney isn’t the kind of pass rusher fans have been begging Brad Holmes to add as a double-digit sack threat. But his value is obvious. He brings a rare mix of run defense and quarterback pressure without always finishing plays with sacks, and that profile fits Kelvin Sheppard’s defense well.
Sheppard uses four down linemen as much as anyone, and in a league that is moving back toward bigger formations and more emphasis on the run, there’s plenty of room for a player like Clowney to matter. If Detroit wants him, it can also sell him on a shot at a championship.
The Browns no longer have the same familiarity angle working in their favor after the firing of Kevin Stefanski and Jim Schwartz. So unless Clowney is simply chasing the biggest paycheck, the Lions have every reason to push harder. And if money is the deciding factor, Detroit should be willing to pay up for a player of this caliber.
The Lions may be comfortable rolling with DJ Wonnum and rookie Derrick Moore outside of Hutchinson, but Clowney would be a legitimate upgrade. Letting a player like that walk because of cost could end up being a mistake Detroit regrets.
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