It is fortunate for the Houston Texans that they have $64.4 million in salary cap space, because it will come in handy in signing edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney to a long-term deal.
Pro Football Focus projects the former No. 1 overall pick from the 2014 NFL draft to be the most expensive free agent this offseason to the tune of $135 million over six years with $85 million guaranteed. Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap collaborated with Pro Football Focus and came up with a top-10 list of the most expensive free agents, and Clowney was atop their projections.
“Clowney has basically every soft factor going for him when it comes to earning a big salary as a free agent. His status as a former number 1 draft pick generally puts him in a class by himself. While we can argue statistics and production versus the rest of the edge rushers, his draft grade likely means that there is strong support on 32 teams that he is the best player available and by a wide margin…
The way that Fitzgerald sees the Clowney situation playing out is the Texans use the franchise tag on the former South Carolina Gamecock.
The only downside for Clowney is that it is likely he will be franchise tagged, which always limits the market for a player. The Texans have ample cap room to carry a one-year deal with a big cap number and won’t be in any rush to negotiate that contract. Still, at the end of the cycle, he should be one of the highest-paid rushers in the NFL unless he decides to quickly sign a contract before the other players have an opportunity to set the market.”
The franchise and transition tag period begins on Feb. 19. The Texans will have until 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on March 5 to designate Clowney with the franchise tag. However, Clowney has until July 15 to work out a multi-year contract with the Texans. If those negotiations fail, Clowney would irrevocably be under the franchise tag.
