With training camp about to open, the Vikings still have a little time to make one more move that could help their defense right away. The roster is mostly in place, but first-time general manager Nolan Teasley still has a chance to address a spot that could use more help before the full team gets to work.
That need is even clearer after the April trade that sent Jonathan Greenard to the Eagles. The edge group could use a boost, and one veteran still on the market fits the kind of short-term swing Minnesota should be considering: Jadeveon Clowney.
Clowney has been around the league long enough to know just about every kind of defensive system. The former first-overall pick by the Texans in 2014 has played 153 games, with 133 starts, across seven teams over 12 seasons.
His path has been a winding one, but the production has stayed real. He has 66.5 sacks, 36 defended passes, 16 forced fumbles, 11 recoveries, three Pro Bowl selections and a second-team All-Pro nod from 2016.
That kind of background could matter in Brian Flores’s defense. Clowney’s experience with different coaches and different schemes gives him a chance to settle in quickly, and he’d give Minnesota another proven body behind Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner. He showed last season in Dallas that he can still help in a supporting role.
In 13 appearances with the Cowboys, Clowney made six starts, his fewest since his rookie season. Even so, he still posted the third-highest sack total of his career with 8.5.
He added 24 solo tackles, four pass breakups and a fumble recovery, and Pro Football Focus credited him with 40 total pressures. Among 115 qualified exterior defenders, that production helped him finish with the 15th-best pass-rush grade at 80.6.
The age and injury questions are obvious. Clowney is 33, and some teams may hesitate because he has only two fully played seasons on his resume.
But the recent availability numbers are not alarming. Over the last three years, he has played in 44 of a possible 51 games.
Last season, three of the four games he missed came before he even made his Cowboys debut in Week 4. He also sat out Week 14 against the Lions with a hamstring injury, then returned the next week.
The price is another part of the equation. Spotrac has his projected market value at $5.7 million, which may be more than some teams want to pay for a veteran with his age and injury history.
For Minnesota, though, that number looks manageable. The Vikings have more than $13.7 million available, so a one-year deal would not carry much financial danger if Clowney comes close to what he did last season.
There’s no guarantee he would produce the same way in Minnesota that he did in Dallas. But the Vikings do know what they’d be buying: experience, versatility and a player who can help soften the loss of Greenard. If Clowney’s 2025 burst is real and not just a one-year spike, he could be exactly the kind of late addition that makes sense before camp gets rolling.
And if other teams are thinking the same thing, Minnesota probably shouldn’t wait around much longer.
In Other News...
Vikings Fans Should Keep A Close Eye On This Young Corner
Jermaine Mathews Jr. is the kind of young cornerback who can start showing up on the radar well before the draft conversation really gets going. The scouting report paints him as a prospect with the size, pedigree and production to matter, which is why he is worth tracking now for a Minnesota team that always has an eye on future secondary help.
The intrigue is in how much room there still is for his stock to move. There are real questions about whether his game will translate cleanly to the NFL, including whether he can hold up when the competition gets tougher and whether he plays as big as he needs to in key moments. A strong 2026 season could change the conversation in a hurry, which is exactly why this is a name Vikings fans may want to keep in the back of their minds. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Face A Familiar Edge Rush Temptation After Greenard Exit
The Vikings edge-rush picture changed quickly after Jonathan Greenard was sent to Philadelphia in a deal that brought back a pair of third-round picks for Minnesota. Greenard then landed a four-year, $100 million contract with the Eagles, leaving the Vikings to sort through the next step on the outside with Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner now sitting at the top of the depth chart.
That has reopened a familiar offseason debate about whether Minnesota should add another veteran presence, with Jadeveon Clowney among the names being discussed. The case for a move is obvious enough, but the Vikings also have to weigh what kind of role they want Turner to grow into and whether their resources are better spent reinforcing another part of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
ESPN Just Weighed In On The Vikings Young Core Debate
ESPNs latest look at under-25 talent offers a useful snapshot of where the Vikings stand as they try to keep building around a younger core. Minnesota comes in 13th in the league, a notable jump from last season, with Donovan Jackson and Dallas Turner drawing the kind of attention that suggests the front office has at least started to stock the roster with players who can matter beyond the immediate moment.
The bigger takeaway for Vikings fans is how that young talent stacks up inside the division. Minnesota is sitting ahead of the Lions and Packers on ESPNs list, but still trails the Bears, which keeps the NFC North race for long-term roster strength interesting even before anyone gets to the field. The next question is whether the Vikings can turn that promising group, which also includes names like Caleb Banks, Jake Golday and Jordan Addison, into something more than a respectable ranking. [Read more 🡒]