The Colts have $90 million in cap space to spend this offseason and unlike last season, I’m hoping they’ll spend some of it on some higher profile players. But is Clowney worth the price tag?
The Texans let Clowney walk away to the Seahawks and he will presumably become a free agent this offseason unless Seattle can pull a boatload of money out of salary cap hell. Teams like the Colts or the Raiders are likely landing spots for the once superstar because of their large-cap space this offseason. I’ve always been on the side of being conservative when it comes to putting money into aging players – I still am – but Clowney could fill a role the Colts are in desperate need of – pressure.
Signing Justin Houston was a step in the right direction but last season proved that Houston is not the once sack leader he was 5-7 years ago; he needs a supporting cast that has the same abilities he does. This is why I’ve been advocating for Derrick Brown in the first-round and helping the interior pressure.
So far, the Colts have made up for their lack of interior pressure with linebackers blitzing, but in a Cover-2 scheme, it’s hard to do that and fill all the holes in the zone properly. Bobby Okereke did a good job filling in in the middle linebacker role, but he doesn’t have the pass-rushing skills of Darius Leonard.
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Not only was the defense as a whole a sore thumb, but the pass rush was also few and far between last season. The Colts need to focus on two things this offseason: being more consistent offensively, and opposing quarterback pressure.
Yes, the wide receiver position is a hard one to figure out too, but teams have made it to the Super Bowl with less – Trent Dilfer anyone? Ask Peyton Manning circa de 2015 if the defense is not just as if not more important than offense. The Seattle Seahawks proved the mantra that “defense wins championships.” The Colts have added many pieces to the ever-growing puzzle that is an NFL team, but one thing that lacks the most is pass rush.
Chris Ballard even admits interior pressure is non-existent on the Colts defense right now:
"“It always starts up front. I thought we were solid up front, I thought we had a couple of guys that had some really good years. I think the interior, we’ve got to be able to get some more interior pressure. The 3-technique drives this thing. It does. Every time I’ve been a part of this, the 3-technique drives this.”"
While Clowney isn’t an interior defender, he makes any defense he plays on better, even with the price tag. I’ve thought a lot about what kind of player he can be and what he was. The Colts have a habit of signing great players late in their career – remember when they raided the retirement home for Andre Johnson?
Clowney left the Texans because they wouldn’t (or couldn’t) play him enough for what he thought he was worth. One thing Chris Ballard is good at, which Ryan Grigson struggled with, is walking away after a certain point. Ballard admitted they were trying to make a move for Antonio Brown in 2019 but fell short once they heard the price tag.
Something I respect about him.
However, this isn’t a Madden game where we can kick the can down the road for the next year. Ballard makes solid points in that that $90 million of cap space is only good for one year and fiscal responsibility shouldn’t be tossed aside simply because you want a championship. The New England Patriots have done a good job of developing young players and letting them go before they want monster contracts, something Grigson failed at miserably.
In the end, Clowney is going to go where the money is, even if that means Cincinnati or either New York team. It also depends on his willingness to be a team player. Chris Ballard once said, “if we’re signing a player it needs to be beneficial to both parties, not just the player.”
Selling the house for one player isn’t worth it when you could have two to three players of relative talent. However, going into 2020 if the options are D.J. Reader and Jadeveon Clowney or Margus Hunt and Denico Autry, that’s a no brainer for me. Then if they add Brown to that list, that’s a top 10 defense right there.
In the end, the question isn’t is it worth it, it’s should the Colts actively look to spend millions of dollars for one player and push other needs aside? This is the forever trade-off for superstar talent and teams with exorbitant amounts of money to spend.
The Colts needs are quarterback and defensive line. You can pick one or the other, but not both for superstar players on the free-agent market. I vote defensive line and pick a quarterback in the draft.