The Seattle Seahawks dealt defensive end Frank Clark to the Kansas City Chiefs for their 2019 first-round pick, 2020 second-round, and a swapping of third-round picks in 2019.
The Seahawks get draft picks. The Chiefs get a premier edge defender. Clark gets a $105.5 million contract with $63.5 million guaranteed. Everyone goes home happy.
If the Houston Texans were to trade their own premier edge defender in Jadeveon Clowney, where would he end up? Here are three teams that would be in the Clowney sweepstakes, if they were to ever open.
1. Buffalo Bills
The doormats of the AFC East could use additional pressure off the edge to help out defensive end Jerry Hughes, who will be 31 years old on Aug. 13. The former 2010 first-round pick for the Indianapolis Colts led the Bills with 7.0 sacks. Clowney would work as part of a unit with Hughes and Shaq Lawson, who produced 4.0 sacks in 2018, to generate pressure on the other AFC East quarterbacks in Ryan Fitzpatrick, Sam Darnold, and Tom Brady. The Bills have No. 9 overall in the 2019 NFL draft, 40th overall in the second round, and 74th overall in the third round among top-100 selections. The Bills may ask the Texans to swap first-round picks in addition to some other draft pick considerations. According to Over The Cap, the Bills have $31.3 million, which is more than the Chiefs had with $22.9 million.
2. Cleveland Browns
The once doormats of the AFC North have been very aggressive in talent accumulation in the 2019 offseason. Adding Clowney would give them another credible edge presence alongside former 2017 No. 1 overall pick defensive end Myles Garrett, who produced 13.5 sacks in 2018. Not only would Cleveland have a veteran in his prime harassing quarterbacks and setting the edge, but they could pair him with a talented defensive end about to enter his prime. The Browns would have the cap space at $33.2 million, but they might not have the draft capital in the 2019 draft to afford him. The Browns have their first pick in the draft kicking off at 49th overall in the second round. If they were willing to dip into the 2020 NFL draft for their first-round pick, it could work.
3. oakland Raiders
As has been discussed previously, the Raiders make sense as a trading partner for the Texans when it comes to Clowney. They have the salary cap space at $27.1 million, and they have a bevy of draft picks at No. 4 overall, 24th overall, 27th overall, and 35th overall in the second round. It might involve swapping picks, but the Texans could certainly get quite the haul from dealing with pick-heavy Oakland. Certainly Clowney would provide a presence on the edge the club lacked after the trading of Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears.
