The Houston Texans applied the franchise tag to edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney on Monday. However, the tag won’t officially stick until after the July 15 deadline.
The last time the team applied the franchise tag to a player was cornerback Dunta Robinson. The former 2004 first-round pick had an impressive rookie season with six interceptions and 19 pass breakups in 16 starts, but he fell off the map after the 2007 season when he played in only nine games.
Houston tagged Robinson in the 2009 offseason. The former South Carolina Gamecock played with the tag and recorded nine pass breakups and a fumble recovery along with 64 combined tackles in 16 starts. The club didn’t re-sign Robinson at the end of the season, and he went on to finish out his career with the Atlanta Falcons and Kansas City Chiefs.
Clowney is also a former Gamecock and the Texans’ ex-first round pick from 2014. However, they aren’t going to let him get away as Robinson did. What the Texans seek to understand is how to give Clowney a team friendly deal while also being conscious of the future with quarterback Deshaun Watson, who will not be out of contract until 2021, fifth-year option included.
