There has been a lot of chatter around the likes of Antonio Brown and Jadeveon Clowney this offseason since free agency opened in March for different reasons. It remains to be seen if either of them will play this season but there is no doubt that both would be impact players for their teams on both sides of the ball. I ask this question, Could the Ravens structure deals in which they get both or at least one of them with the cap space that they now possess?
Chris Szagola/Associated Press
Jadeveon Clowney is a former first overall No. 1 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft for the Houston Texans, which have expressed interest in a reunion. It has been a strange offseason for a lot of reasons but Clowneys case speaks volumes. There is obvious medical concerns that hurt his lackluster statistics significantly and his asking price is said to be outrageous. However, the season is coming and if he would lower his cap space for a year on a playoff caliber team is the question. What does he want more now, money or a Superbowl ring? At only 27 years old in the prime of his career he could still go for a more lucrative deal next year on a more stable year without covid and other issues. Erik DeCosta, GM of Ravens, has had conversations with Clowney his agent and would like to add him to the team for the right price. There might even be a possibility of working with Matthew Judon for long term deal to open more money to have both on each side of defense front. This would be a dynamic duo of Judon and Clowney the likes that most defenses in the NFL do not have or is untested. This would make an unmovable force on defense unstoppable. The decision rest with Clowney but if I were his agent, I would tell him to go win a Super Bowl and get a more lucrative deal next year with better numbers.
On the other side of the ball there is one of most dynamic forces at WR that league has ever seen left on the open market. He is a man that has terrorized the AFC north for years and the Ravens the most. He also wants revenge against his former team and our archrival the Pittsburgh Steelers. His name is the notorious Antonio Brown and his stats speak for themselves. Granted Antonio Brown comes with a lot of baggage on an off the field that is well known by many sportscasters and fans alike. They have made this clear this offseason and last year. Off the field Antonio Brown has been accused of abuse. He will have to answer for this in the courts and with the NFL before he would be clear to play. On the field he is known as a primadonna with narcistic characteristics that does not bode well for a young locker room. This was on full display in Oakland, who do not have a great organization since John Madden left and again shortly with the Patriots for one game. However, the Ravens are known from top down, Owner to Players to be a top-notch organization. I have seen the Ravens over years that I watch them mold bad players into great men (Elvis Dumervil), and I have seen players that have got in trouble let them work their way out of it (Ray Lewis). If any team can do it, it would be the Ravens. Could the Ravens bring him on a cheap one-year deal to allow him to prove himself towards the end of the season after his suspension or is it too much of risk? This is a question that Erik Decosta in his second year as GM has been asking his organization this whole offseason.
Here’s what Lamar Jackson throwing a pass to Antonio Brown during an offseason workout looks like. pic.twitter.com/v6DYhhBn5w
— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) April 1, 2020
The upside is he would form a dynamic offense with Lamar Jackson, Mark Ingram, Hollywood Brown (Cousin), Willie Sneed and Mark Andrews. This would create and unstoppable force one that the league could not cover. The downside is that it could corrupt a locker room of young players. However, we have seen Lamar, Hollywood, and Antonio workout this offseason together and it looks like they have all made themselves better together. If John Harbaugh, his assistants, and Owner Steve Biscotti can lay the ground rules I think it would be hard to pass up even with the downsides for Erik Decosta.
The Ravens then could have a unstoppable force (offense) to go along with an unmovable object (defense) one that would lead them to a Super Bowl championship win and would become one of the greatest teams ever assemble on paper and potentially on the field. Clowney and/or Brown time is running out!