Even though they thoroughly beat the life out of free agency, the Dolphins quest for talent and guys who want to be part of the next big thing hasn’t stopped. The Dolphins, reportedly, made an offer to free-agent pass rusher JaDaveon Clowney.
If you can remember all the way back to last Summer, you know a time where life was fun, the Dolphins were having a garage sale of everything they owned. They ended up trading Tunsil and Stills to the Texans. But, the Dolphins were, reportedly, attempting to get Clowney back from Houston. Clowney, flat out said that he didn’t want to go to Miami, a team that had no chance of making the playoffs. Okay, I can sort of understand that sentiment.
The Dolphins were a dumpster fire, which they were the ones committing the crime. So, it makes sense that Clowney didn’t want to get involved with a known arsonist. But things are different now down in South Beach and still, Clowney doesn’t want to play for the Dolphins. I must say, I find myself having respect for Clowney for this. Not because I think he’s making a wise move because I don’t. The Dolphins are on the rise and when they get the quarterback of their choosing, they’re going to be a destination place for all players.
Also, I’m not sure if Clowney believes he’s going to get a better deal than $17M a year. He’s good, a potential game-changer every time he’s on the field, but he’s not Von Miller/Khalil Mack good. Clowney has been in the league for six seasons. In 75 games, he has 32 sacks. That’s around five sacks a year. That’s alright, but it’s not worth $17M a year with about $40M guaranteed.
Do you know who has averaged around five sacks over their last three seasons? The answer is Shaq Lawson. Would you also like to know who else has averaged around five sacks a year over their last four seasons? You’ve gotten to this point, so of course, you do. The answer is Emmanuel Ogbah. Lawson and Ogbah are a few of the free agents the Dolphins have brought within the last week and both are considerably cheaper than Clowney.
Do I think either of those guys is better than Clowney? No, I don’t. Do I think that they can put up numbers that are near what Clowney can put up if they’re given the same amount of opportunities? You betcha. But even with Clowney rejecting the Dolphins offer, again, I find myself respecting and wanting to pursue him more. Like the Seinfeld episode where George is captivated with the masseuse(Stifler’s mom) only because she despises him so much, I find myself wanting to scratch the itch that is JaDaveon Clowney’s hatred of the Dolphins. I just want to know what’s his problem with Miami. I need to know so I can move on.
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