Jadeveon Clowney and the Texans have agreed on a four-year deal that will pay the defensive end handsomely, and give Houston a pass rush to rival any in the NFL.
Jadeveon Clowney and the Houston Texans have come to an agreement on a rookie contract, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Clowney earned a healthy paycheck after being selected No. 1 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. Per McClain, the deal is worth $22.272 million guaranteed, with a $14.518 million signing bonus.
Clowney's deal is in line with those of the last three No. 1 overall picks, Eric Fisher (2013), Andrew Luck (2012) and Cam Newton (2011), all of whom were selected after the NFL agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement with players that reined in spending on rookie contracts. Clowney's contract will include a team option for a fifth year worth that season's transition tag, which is standard for top-10 picks.
Clowney has been touted as a potential superstar since his days as a top high school recruit. He put together a prolific career at South Carolina (albeit with a somewhat disappointing, hot take-inducing junior year) before declaring for the NFL Draft with a year of eligibility left. Clowney was a first-team All-SEC and All-American in 2012 and 2013, and was named SEC Defensive Player after a sophomore season in which he racked up 13 sacks among 23.5 tackles for loss.
With Clowney signed, offensive guard Xavier Su'a-Filo is the only rookie yet to be signed by the Texans. There is still a significant number of first-round draft packs yet to be signed by NFL teams. The list:
No. 2 pick Greg Robinson, OT, St. Louis Rams
No. 3 pick Blake Bortles, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
No. 7 pick Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
No. 8 pick Justin Gilbert, CB, Cleveland Browns
No. 10 pick Eric Ebron, TE, Detroit Lions
No. 11 pick Taylor Lewan, OT, Tennessee Titans
No. 13 pick Aaron Donald, DT, St. Louis Rams
No. 16 pick Zack Martin, OT, Dallas Cowboys
No. 19 pick Ja'Wuan James, OT, Miami Dolphins
No. 22 pick Johnny Manziel, QB, Cleveland Browns
No. 24 pick Darqueze Dennard, CB, Cincinnati Bengals
No. 26 pick Marcus Smith, OLB, Philadelphia Eagles
No. 29 pick Dominique Easley, DT, New England Patriots
No. 31 pick Bradley Roby, CB, Denver Broncos
Now that Clowney's contract is set, it could encourage other first-rounders to sign. We'll see in the coming days.
With Clowney in tow, the Texans should have a pass rush to rival any team in the NFL, with
J.J. Watt forming the other half of a formidable duo. The Texans were rumored to be trading the No. 1 overall pick for several months, knowing that several teams coveted Clowney and that they were already well-set in the defensive front. Clowney's freakish athleticism may have made him difficult to pass up, however.
(Quote:Jadeveon Clowney (pronounced jə-deh-vee-on clow-nee;born February 14, 1993) is an American football linebacker[3] for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He graduated from South Pointe High School in Rock Hill, South Carolina and played college football at the University of South Carolina. A unanimous College All-American as a sophomore in 2012, Clowney set South Carolina school records in quarterback sacks (13.0) and tackles for a loss (23.5) per season while also earning Defensive Player of the Year honors in the Southeastern Conference. Described by ESPN as "one of those rare game-changers on defense",Clowney was projected to be a top 5 selection in the 2014 NFL Draft,and was picked first overall by the Texans.)
