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8 hours ago
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With free agency and the draft behind us, teams are beginning to get an idea of what their rosters will look for the 2025 season.
The Carolina Panthers, for example, added to their pass-rusher group during free agency and the draft. As a result, the team found veteran edge-rusher Jadeveon Clowney to be expendable. Clowney was released and is now among the best options at his position in free agency.
The Cincinnati Bengals are one of several teams that could use some reinforcements on the edge.
Trey Hendrickson was given permission to seek a trade and continues to be floated in rumors, but even if the veteran remains in town, the team needs more options, anyway.
The Bengals did draft athletic freak Shemar Stewart in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but the Texas A&M product is raw and shouldn't be relied upon immediately.
Elsewhere on the roster, veteran Sam Hubbard retired this offseason, furthering the need for more pieces.
Ayrton Ostly of USA Today identified the Bengals as a logical landing spot for Clowney. Regarding that potential fit, Ostly offered the following:
"The Bengals spent their first-round pick on edge Shemar Stewart but he's viewed as one of the more raw prospects at the position with elite athletic tools. He could use a veteran like Clowney in the building to learn from with similar size and athletic abilities," Ostly wrote.
"Cincinnati has a championship-caliber offense and needs to turn the tide on defense to make the most of it. Clowney could at least be a rotational piece who sets the edge in run defense well and provides enough pass rush opposite reigning NFL sack leader Trey Hendrickson."
Clowney has had an underwhelming career since being drafted with the top pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. The veteran has never collected double-digit sacks and has never earned a First-team All-Pro selection.
However, Clowney has earned three Pro Bowl bids and has had nine or more sacks in four different seasons. Other than his rookie year in 2014 and the COVID season in 2020, Clowney has never played in fewer than 12 games, showcasing his durability.
Clowney isn't an elite option at this point in his career, but he could still be a useful rotational piece.
He collected 46 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 11 quarterback hits in 14 games in 2024. The veteran also earned a respectable 70.8 Pro Football Focus grade and was credited with 44 pressures, which ranked 38th out of 211 qualified edge-rushers.
In Cincinnati, the veteran could slot in opposite Hendrickson and split snaps with the rookie Stewart. If Hendrickson is traded, Clowney would likely be counted on in a bigger role, alongside Joseph Ossai.
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