Jadeveon Clowney is expected to sign with the Tennessee Titans sources tell ESPN. He rejoins Mike Vrabel who was on the Texans defensive staff for Clowney’s first 3 years in the league in Houston. The Saints, the other main suitor, made a very strong case. This was a close one.
— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) September 5, 2020
They made a strong effort, but it wasn’t enough. The New Orleans Saints weren’t able to sway free agent pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney and he is expected to sign with the Tennessee Titans, per ESPN’s Dianna Russini. The opportunity to reunite with his old position coach, Mike Vrabel, wasn’t something the Saints could compete with.
This whiff leaves the Saints where they started at defensive end: with Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport starting on each side, backed up by third-down specialist Trey Hendrickson and emerging second-year pro Carl Granderson. That’s not a bad group, but it would have been better for adding Clowney to it.
To be clear: the Saints didn’t need Clowney. They chose to go after him because he could have elevated the defense to another level. It’s unfortunate that their sales pitch didn’t win out, but it isn’t the end of the world.
And another angle to consider is that the Saints showed other possible big additions how far they’re willing to go to get an edge. If a star player becomes available at the NFL’s trade deadline in October, New Orleans has the resources on hand to go get them.
