Texans trade former #1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney to Seahawks

A pretty big, and mostly expected trade went down today, as the Texans traded away their former first-overall pick in 2014, OLB Jadeveon Clowney. However, the team wasn’t quite as expected.

The Dolphins had made a big push for Clowney in the last week, offering the Texans a massive trade package including Laremy Tunsil and a first-rounder, but Clowney apparently refused Miami in the same way Antonio Brown rebuffed the Bills. Clowney, having not yet signed his franchise tender, had all the leverage here.

So off to Seattle Clowney goes, his preferred destination. The compensation here is incredibly small, as Mingo wasn’t likely to make the team and Martin is an average player at best. All Seattle really gives up is a third-rounder and the $16M cap hit. The trade deal the Raiders got for Khalil Mack looks like highway robbery in comparison to this, but Mack was able to sign an extension immediately while Clowney will theoretically hit the open market after playing this year on a franchise tender. Seattle has $61M in 2020 cap space to sign him if they can.

Clowney should be able to fit right in on Seattle’s defense, filling the Bruce Irvin role as a ferocious outside rusher, and will make the AFC just a little bit weaker in the process.