Jadeveon Clowney apparently didn't enjoy his meeting with Dolphins, so what's next?
So much for the Jadeveon Clowney to the Miami Dolphins trade speculation.
Clowney, the edge defender who hasn’t signed his franchise tag with the Houston Texans, met with the Dolphins this week and apparently he did not have a great visit. According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, a source informed of Clowney’s thinking said Clowney “reiterated that he remains adamant he doesn't want to play for the Miami Dolphins regardless of the trade discussions.”
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And with that, the Texans start over figuring out what to do with Clowney.
Jadeveon Clowney hasn’t signed franchise tag
Clowney was given the franchise tag, then he and the team were unable to work out a long-term deal before the deadline for tagged players. Clowney has to play under the one-year tag, and that complicates things.
Any team trading for Clowney is only guaranteed one year from him. If Clowney is “adamant” that he doesn’t want to play for the Dolphins, Miami has to feel it would be giving up picks or players for a one-year rental in a rebuilding season. That makes no sense.
The Dolphins-Clowney trade made little sense anyway. The Dolphins aren’t going anywhere this season, and with reports of a “revolt” in the locker room if offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil was involved in a Clowney trade, maybe it’s best for the Dolphins to let this one be. The Texans do have playoff hopes, and would be far better off with Clowney.
But nobody knows if or when he’ll sign the tag and play.
Can Texans trade Clowney?
Clowney wants to be paid in the same range as Khalil Mack or Aaron Donald, Wilson said. The former No. 1 overall pick has been good, but hasn’t had the same impact as Donald or Mack. It makes sense why the Texans would resist offering him a contract of that size. Hence, the standoff.
As Le’Veon Bell showed, sitting out an entire year instead of signing the tag is an option. The Texans will presumably talk trade with other teams before the opener, but there’s still the snag of finding fair compensation for a player on a one-year contract.
The whole situation has gotten messy and complicated, and the failed meeting with the Dolphins doesn’t help things. With a little more than a week before the season starts, the Texans have a puzzle to figure out.
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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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