Jadeveon Clowney Contract Still an Option, Seahawks' John Schneider Says

Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider didn't fully rule out re-signing pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney but pointed out the team couldn't afford to wait and miss out on other deals in the process.

Brady Henderson of ESPN shared Schneider's first public comments on Clowney's free agency:

"He came in, did a great job for us. We made an effort to re-sign him. We'd still -- the door is not closed, but we couldn't wait any longer. We had to conduct business, and so he knew that. Everything was real cordial. He's a great guy, represented by a great guy. I go all the way back to Brett Favre [in Green Bay] with his representative, Bus Cook. We've had great conversations. He just is going to kind of feel his way through this odd process, and we'll see where that goes."

That the Seahawks looked to other moves is notable because they already added pass-rushers Benson Mayowa and Bruce Irvin this offseason.

Mayowa tallied seven sacks last year for the then-Oakland Raiders, while Irvin notched 8.5 for the Carolina Panthers. By comparison, Clowney had just three in an underwhelming performance for Seattle after it acquired him from the Houston Texans via trade prior to the 2019 campaign.

On April 1, ESPN's Dianna Russini reported Clowney lowered his asking price from around $20 million a year to $17-18 million a year. What's more, Geoffrey C. Arnold of The Oregonian suggested "Clowney's injury history and offseason surgery has left potential suitors wondering if he's healthy."

While the lack of production in 2019 and recent surgery raise questions regarding the free agent, he is also just 27 years old and a three-time Pro Bowler.

The No. 1 pick of the 2014 NFL draft made the Pro Bowl three straight years from 2016 through 2018 while in Houston and posted a combined 18.5 sacks in his final two years with the AFC South team.

He still brings a high ceiling, and Schneider suggested the Seahawks could be open to a reunion.