Jadeveon Clowney Says Duane Brown Sold Him on Seahawks Before Trade from Texans

The Seattle Seahawks landed three-time Pro Bowler Jadeveon Clowney over the weekend, and they have offensive lineman Duane Brown to thank for helping make it happen.

Clowney revealed that Brown called him approximately one month ago to recruit him to Seattle. And Brown's  pitch sold Clowney, per ESPN's Brady Henderson:

"He was like, 'You need to come play with us. You'll love it here. Great weather. It's not hot like Houston. Great fan support. Other great teammates on this team. Come be a part of something great. I was like, 'Man, you know what? I'm going to look into that, try to get up there with you guys.'"

Brown found himself in a relatively similar situation to Clowney less than two years ago. After spending the first nine-plus years of his career with the Houston Texans, the veteran lineman opted to hold out as he sought a trade, resulting in him missing his team's first six games.

It wasn't until the day before the 2017 trade deadline that a deal ultimately got done and Brown found himself headed to Seattle.

Brown has spent the last 22 months with the Seahawks, giving him plenty of time to learn about a new organization and city. That proved to be key for Pete Carroll and Co.

Clowney had held out for the duration of the preseason after failing to reach a multi-year deal with the Texans. The 26-year-old essentially had a de facto no-trade clause, as he had not signed his franchise tender prior to his trade. That gave him the leverage he needed to try to control where he wound up. 

"I just really tried to take control of what I could control, as far as where could I play at and how could I be traded, as far as that. I was just taking that into consideration. It was like, 'If I don't sign the tag, maybe I could decide where I end up going,' and I got somewhere I wanted to be. That's what happened."

While Brown's recruiting pitch put the Seahawks on Clowney's list of preferred destinations, the team did whatever it had to do to complete a deal. Ultimately, per Henderson, Seattle agreed not to franchise Clowney after the season, allowing him to hit the open market.

With that, Clowney and Brown were reunited in the Pacific Northwest.

Brown let it be known that he felt as though it was a good fit for both Clowney and the Seahawks, per ESPN's Josina Anderson:

"It's a big move for us. He is a game-changer in my opinion. Just spending time with him in Houston, I know he is respected by offensive coordinators, guys that have to prepare for him. I think he will really thrive for us.

"I know Clowney has to get a physical, but he's excited. I've been telling him it's a reputable organization here. I'm not sure why it all fell apart in Houston. I know how he works. Looking forward to getting him out there with us now."

The timing of the trade gives Clowney a full week of practice ahead of Week 1. Seattle will host the Cincinnati Bengals at CenturyLink Field on Sunday.