Well there is some NFL news on the day that college football officially returns. The Houston Texans have traded one of their best defensive players in Jadeveon Clowney to Seattle. This article will give a break down of the deal for all the parties involved, and also I’ll hand out grades for the proposed deal.
The Trade Details:
Houston Texans Receive: 2020 Third Round Pick, Barkevious Mingo, Defensive End & Jacob Martin, Linebacker/Defensive End
Seattle Seahawks Receive: Jadeveon Clowney, Outside Linebacker
Reaction, Analysis, and Grades:
Houston Texans:
The Texans found themselves in a tough spot with a disgruntled player who refused to play without a new deal in place. Houston obviously had their reasons for not hammering out a new contract, and elected to get something for Clowney before the season kicks off. Clowney had some serious injury issues in the past, but has been relatively healthy the last few seasons. The Texans may have been more inclined to save money for the future because they have other glaring needs on their roster. At first glance, I feel like this is a really light return for a player of Jadeveon’s caliber. The best acquisition of this deal in my opinion is the third round pick. It’s a relatively high pick especially if the Seahawks have a rough season. However, once you’re in the middle of the draft it seems hit or miss on gaining instant talent. I am surprised the Texans weren’t able to land at least a second round pick in return for Clowney. Jacob Martin is another nice pickup because he is only 23 years old, and showed some promise last year for Seattle. He is a good athlete with a solid first step, and could potentially develop into a consistent pass rusher. Many experts rave about his non stop motor, and feel he has real potential for the future. Playing alongside J.J. Watt will open up some opportunities for him to get more one on one coverage. He is also under team control for the next few seasons which helps the Texans save money. The addition of Barkevious Mingo in my mind is simply a rental pickup. Mingo was formally the 6th pick in the 2013 NFL Draft out of LSU. He has not lived up to expectations, and will now join his 5th NFL team in his seventh year as a pro. He has played solid the last two years, but has not developed into a fearsome pass rusher like he was projected to be. I feel like the Texans panicked, and were more inclined to just get a deal done. They supposedly had a deal done with Miami, but Clowney refused to play for the Dolphins. For a team with needs at the running back position and offensive line it’s a little strange for them to trade for defense. It seems the Texans are just trying to clear cap space, and wanted to get a couple of defenders to fill in for the time being.
Grade: C
Seattle Seahawks:
The Seahawks made the tough decision to trade their start defensive end Frank Clark, and were obviously in need of a big time pass rusher. They are able to get what the doctor ordered in trading for Jadeveon Clowney. The former 1st overall pick by Houston in the 2014 NFL Draft started slow in his NFL career. However, he has stayed healthy the last two seasons, and has put up big time production in that time. Clowney is a feared pass rusher who mauls people in the blitz or at the line of scrimmage. He has the ability to use power moves to plow through offensive lineman, and has the agility to sneak by them as well. He has racked up a total of 18 sacks with 9 sacks for the year in 2017 & 2018. Clowney is a solid player against the run, but will be mainly employed as a pass rusher for Seattle. Clowney is not a guy that can be used in the pass coverage scheme, and can be exposed if put in that position. He does have the ability to break on the ball after it has been in play, but is not going to be the man to cover running backs or tight ends. The Seahawks don’t need that aspect of his game they are looking for him to come in and sack the quarterback. This is a big time get for the Seahawks, and a clear replacement for the loss of Frank Clark. It will be interesting to see what the contract details will be going forward. I highly doubt they would have made this deal if they were not committed to signing him long term. However, if things change, and Clowney doesn’t perform well the team didn’t give up a lot of assets. In this case, if he were to leave in free agency they won’t be missing much in terms of on field value. This is yet another good move by John Schneider who continues to be one of the best general managers in the NFL today. This move adds some serious juice to this defense, and allows the Seahawks to be in a better position to compete. Clowney missed training camp, didn’t play in the preseason, but some reports are saying he is in great shape. It will probably be Week 2 or 3 before we actually see him in a Seahawks jersey. He will have to pass the physical to make the trade official, learn the playbook, and then be incorporated into the scheme. If you are a 12th Man fan you have to be happy with this trade.
Grade: A
Final Thoughts:
For the Seahawks, I believe they knocked it out of the park with this deal. They add a pro-bowler player, and addressed a major need in their pass rush. For the Texans, they missed out on making a bigger deal, and were motivated to just get a deal completed before the season. This may be a wise move long term for Houston given Clowney’s injuries in the past, and the money they will save going forward. However, the Seahawks win this trade in the present time and we could look back on this deal as a major steal down the road.
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