The former Raven in back on the market — could he find his way back to Baltimore once more?
After being released by the Carolina Panthers last week, veteran edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney is now on the open market. Shortly after he became a free agent, rumors began swirling of a potential return to join the Ravens.
Clowney, the former No. 1 overall pick in 2014, had a brief but memorable one-year stint in Baltimore two years ago. He ultimately priced himself out of the team’s budget after the 2023 season and signed a two-year, $20 million contract with the Panthers last offseason.
Now, the 11-year veteran has a chance of returning to the Ravens. The question begs, should the Ravens pursue signing him again? Let’s examine the case for and against this proposition. Chime in with your own thoughts and vote on the poll below!
The Case for Signing Clowney
Clowney was one of the Ravens’ most impactful defenders in 2023 and matched his career-high in sacks (9.5), while also nearing career-best totals in QB hits, forced fumbles, and passes defended. He became a fan favorite in Baltimore, and many were hoping the team would re-sign him in free agency last year.
The Ravens are squarely in win-now mode as they continue to get over the hump in the postseason with Lamar Jackson under center. Clowney would be an instant upgrade over the team’s younger players on the back half of the depth chart. While some of his stats declined in 2024, he still displayed plenty of juice left in the tank. In Carolina last season, Clowney produced more combined tackles, blitzes, hurries, and batted passes than he did in 2023, while nearly matching his pressures total too despite playing three less games.
You can never have too many impactful pass-rushers in today’s NFL, and the Ravens only have two proven ones on the roster right now in Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh. In the event of an injury to either of them, the Ravens will have to rely on incoming rookie Mike Green or Tavius Robinson, David Ojabo, or Adisa Isaac. Clowney is a much more proven commodity.
He likely would not cost very much to sign, either, and make even take a reduced number to join the Ravens — which he did the first time around two summers ago.
The Case Against Signing Clowney
While Clowney performed at a high level for the Ravens in 2023, his sack and QB hits production declined last season and he’s now 32 years old with a checkered injury history. The Ravens already have a crowded edge rusher room with unproven, but high-upside young players vying for playing time.
If the Ravens brought Clowney back, it almost surely would spell the end of one of these player’s tenure in Baltimore — likely Ojabo or Isaac. While Ojabo has been underwhelming as a former second-round pick, he finally stayed healthy for most of the 2024 season. He still possesses the talent to emerge as a late bloomer. Isaac is only a rising sophomore and essentially redshirted his rookie season. Both players have higher long-term ceilings than Clowney does. Although Clowney better helps their win-now aspirations, the Ravens still need to be thinking big-picture with Van Noy and Oweh entering the last years of their contracts.
Clowney’s hypothetical return would also cut into the playing time of Green, who could already be a more instant-impact player than the veteran. The Ravens have invested a lot of capital at this position already and with two returning starters already set, they should allow their abundance of young edge rushers to grow as much as possible.
The Ravens remaining cap space would better be used to sign a veteran at a greater position of need, such as defensive tackle.