Leading up to the 4:00 p.m. ET deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign new long-term deals with their teams, there are two big names still twisting in the wind-Texans defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowney, and Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. While that will guarantee Clowney makes a nice chunk of change in 2019, he might receive less than he deserves.
Now that the situation has reached a formal, if expected, turning point, let's examine the short- and.
The Texans tagged Clowney as a linebacker rather than a defensive end.
The team could choose the same route next year and decide to franchise tag Clowney once again or get a long-term deal done. As Schefter notes, those two positions offer different franchise tag values. If Clowney is considered a linebacker, he'll make $15.4 million in 2019. But if he's considered a defensive end, that figure shoots up to $17.1 million, according to Over The Cap.
Clowney finished the 2018 season with 47 tackles, nine sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in addition to posting an National Football League ninth-best 16 tackles for loss.
Clowney was one of the more devastating defenders in the history of South Carolina's football program. If a player does not sign the tender, they remain without a contract, and therefore are not subject to fine schedules for skipping offseason workouts (as we saw with Bell last year).
The Houston Chronicle's Aaron Wilson added that while Clowney is not expected to miss any games, he is expected to miss "a major portion" of training camp.
