Wyman: Luck and timing could be key for Seahawks this offseason
Mar 20, 2020, 2:02 PM
Luck and timing appear to be on the Seahawks' side in their pursuit of Jadeveon Clowney. (Getty)
(Getty)
The Seahawks were able to re-sign defensive tackle Jarran Reed and by multiple reports, they’re the favorites to sign defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. If they’re able to keep both, a lot of that comes down to both luck and timing.
If the Seahawks can’t keep Clowney, what’s next for the pass rush?
How so? Essentially, when Clowney and Reed hit free agency matters greatly for the Seahawks in terms of their ability to potentially retain both of them. Dave Wyman of 710 ESPN Seattle’s Bob, Dave and Moore said he thought of how luck and timing related to those two and the Seahawks after seeing the contract that linebacker Nick Kwiatowski signed with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Kwiatowski, who has been a backup for nearly all of his entire career, was thrust into starting action after an injury and he performed extremely well and was rewarded with a three-year deal worth up to $21 million.
“He’s the king of good timing to me in this offseason because he was a backup … but he had a good year (as an injury replacement in 2019),” Wyman said. “He had the right year, the right season at the right time going into the end of his contract (and) he cashed in on it.”
While good luck and timing and, of course, his performance helped Kwiatowski ink the biggest contract of his life, Wyman says those factors were reversed for Reed and Clowney.
Reed signed a two-year deal worth up to $23 million this offseason. He had a disappointing 2019 season, registering 2 sacks a year after having 10.5 sacks. He also missed the first six games of the season with a suspension.
“If his career had gone like this: rookie year (having) 1.5 sacks, second year, 1.5 sacks, his third year, 2 sacks and then this last year he got 10.5 sacks with 50 tackles in his fourth year, he would have been looking at a lot bigger of a payday, I think,” Wyman said. “(710 ESPN Seattle’s John Clayton) said (Reed would have gotten) $13 or $14 (million) maybe, and he got $11.5 (million). Just the timing of when he got that production would have paid off for him and it’s been good for the Seahawks.”
While Reed had a down year after a career year, San Francisco 49ers lineman Arik Armstead was the opposite. After years of OK production sacks-wise, the former first-round pick broke double-digit sacks for the first time in 2019 and the 49ers rewarded him with a five-year deal worth up to $85 million.
“He had a few sacks here and there and then all of a sudden he had 10 sacks and that got him a big payday as well,” Wyman said.
With Clowney, while he was extremely disruptive at times, he had just 3 sacks and missed time with a core injury. In years past with the Houston Texans, Clowney’s numbers were far more impressive.
“Clowney had 9- and a 9.5-sack seasons back to back in 2017 and 2018. What if he’d had 9.5 last year?” Wyman said. “I feel like he might have gone in that first tier of signings in the free agent frenzy that’s been going on. It’s good for the Seahawks again, too … Just the timing part of it, sometimes, it’s luck or it’s just how long your contract is that you get paid these big paydays.”
Clowney is still a free agent, and rumors have swirled that he is not being offered the $20-million per year he was hoping for, and many analysts predict he will return to the Seahawks. Reportedly, part of the concern teams have with Clowney aside from his lack of sacks in his career is that he has a history of injuries and due to facility closures because of he coronavirus, it’s harder for teams to see how he’s recovered from the core injury he played through last season.
The Seahawks likely have the best gauge for where Clowney’s health is at, which could be another area that luck helps them out.
Listen to the full discussion from Bob, Dave and Moore at this link or in the player below.
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