I get really frustrated with the way the business side of football interferes with the game. But to call Clowney "garbage" requires a level of blindness to the realities of the game that is ridiculously inept. Clowney's skill level is such "garbage" that opposing teams prioritize game planning just for dealing with him. That's one reason why his numbers are suppressed. Last year he routinely faced double, and even triple, team attention on a majority of snaps he was on the field. In spite of all that attention, in addition to playing through a CORE injury, he managed to post high pressure stats and provide solid run support, and figured prominently in a number of turnovers. Our problem was we didn't have the personnel to take advantage of that. It would seem that now we do, so if he came back our additions would stand to have a lot of opportunities to accumulate the glory that comes with completing a play. Or, if our additions draw attention away from Clowney he has the ability to make our opponents pay in a big way.
The Ravens, sans a pricey safety, figure as a team that Clowney could see as an attractive spot to land. Geographically closer to his roots, a strong candidate as playoff contender, great supporting cast, and some newly created cap room. Dallas would seem to be at the limits of what they can do in cap terms. Cleveland could swing it, but they already offered and he turned it down, just as he has other offers from what figure to be non-playoff contenders, which includes the Raiders.
Players get one shot to make a career that is, on average a few years , count. I get that. But sometimes I think players don't see the entire picture in terms of what that "one shot" includes or doesn't include. Agents are focused on making as much money as they can as fast as they can. That's their game, but their game interferes with our game.
