Heavy on jets
The New York Jets could raid the coffers of a weaker team to improve their roster.
Reporter Nick Faria joined me on Boy Green Daily to discuss a proposed transfer to improve the team’s pass rush.
New York Jets receive: Pass Rusher Jadeveon Clowney
Carolina Panthers receive: a fourth-round draft pick in 2025
Faria told me it would “not surprise me at all” if those two teams made a deal for Clowney.
“Personally, I think they (the Jets) are going to need another edge rusher. Whether it’s Yannick Ngakoue or a trade for Clowney, whatever it is. Everyone is pushing for Davante Adams if the Raiders are out of the running at the trade deadline, but I think it’s much more likely that the team will target an edge rusher in the future than anything else,” Faria explained.
Clowney would add another option to the Jets defense
The Panthers have yet to win a game at the time of publication. According to ESPN’s analysis, Carolina has a 23.4% chance of being selected No. 1 in the 2025 NFL Draft, by far the best odds of any team.
They are a terrible football team and are not expected to turn things around any time soon. Why hold on to an ageing asset that is not going to change your fortunes?
Clowney, 31, signed a two-year, $20 million contract with the Panthers this offseason.
“Maybe a fourth or fifth round pick, I mean he’s older (31 years old). I don’t think he costs as much as a second or third round pick (in a trade), I don’t think that’s happening. I don’t see any team trying to get him with that, so a fourth or fifth round pick would be enough,” Faria said.
The Jets, on the other hand, have much higher expectations. They are 2-1 this season, 2-0 in the AFC and 1-0 in the AFC East. According to ESPN’s analysis, the Green-Whites have a 79 percent chance of reaching the playoffs in 2024. That’s the fourth-best chance in the conference.
Jets wanted Clowney this offseason, have a chance for a rematch
The Green-Whites turned over a lot of rocks last season to find pass rush talent, and one of the options they explored was signing Clowney as a free agent.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz said Clowney and the Jets stayed in “constant contact” during the offseason and the team was “highly motivated” to sign him. But then the Panthers came along with a big contract and he ended up there.
If the Jets were interested a few months ago, they would probably still be interested now.
Clowney is a solid pass rusher. In his 11 seasons as a pro, Clowney has recorded 52.5 sacks, 128 quarterback hits and 99 tackles for loss. He is in the midst of his 11th season in the league, having recorded at least 4.5 sacks in six of his first 10 seasons.
Clowney has never posted a double-digit sack season in his career, but has come close several times. A good argument could be made that in this Jets scheme and with the talent they have on defense, Clowney could reach a new level in 2024.
In addition to his pass rushing abilities, Clowney is also a standout in the run game, with a career run defense rating of 76.4 from Pro Football Focus.
For the Jets, this would be a very low-risk, high-reward move. They can use more pass rushers. The Panthers could use more future draft assets. This makes too much sense not to happen.
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. The New York native is the co-host of Cumulus Media’s morning show “The Manchild Show with Boy Green.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
