Bumpus: The longer Clowney is unsigned, the better it is for the Seahawks

The top non-quarterback free agent left on the market is defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who played for the Seahawks last season.

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The former No. 1 pick had a down year by his standard, recording just 3 sacks, and had a core injury that caused him to miss three games and required offseason surgery.

Clowney can, at times, take over games and is also a very good run defender, but teams so far have been unwilling to meet his reported $20 million per year asking price.

The Seahawks have reportedly remained the favorites to sign Clowney, and Michael Bumpus, a former Seahawks wide receiver, told 710 ESPN Seattle’s Tom, Jake and Stacy that he feels great about Clowney’s chances of staying in Seattle because he’s still unsigned two weeks into free agency.

“I think it’s more circumstantial due to the virus,” Bumpus said of why Clowney is still unsigned. “He’s not able to go and take physicals and look guys in the eye and convey that he’s back and ready to go. And honestly, the longer this thing plays out, the better it is for the Seattle Seahawks.”

After four seasons with the Houston Texans, Clowney was traded to the Seahawks for a third-round pick and two players. That gives Seattle an edge, Bumpus said.

“I think he’s going to go back to what’s familiar. He’s definitely not going back to Houston, I can guarantee that, so what’s the next best thing? It’s Seattle,” he said.

Clowney has a fairly large injury history, and not being able to travel and visit teams due to the coronavirus has prevented teams from knowing just how healthy he is. Bumpus thinks Clowney is playing the “long game” correctly.

“He’s doing exactly what he’s supposed to do,” Bumpus said. “If he’s not getting the offers that he wants or that intrigues him, then you’ve got to hold out and wait this thing out and hope that maybe a in a month or so, he’s able to travel and go check out teams and whatnot.”

While some have questioned if Clowney is worth the reported $20 million he’s seeking, Bumpus is not one of them.

“I feel like he’s valued around the $20 million mark despite what people say about his sack numbers,” he said. “You watch this guy play, he effects the game. I feel he’s valued there and he thinks he’s valued there, so he’s going to wait this thing out and the longer he waits, the better it looks for Seattle.”

And because the Seahawks are Clowney’s most recent team, they have an advantage in terms of knowing about his health more so than other teams.

” They know his ins, his outs, his injuries, what his timelines are like,” Bumpus said. “They know him the best, so I think they’re going to give him at least a fair offer. He might not like the offer – I never though the Seahawks would give him the offer that he wanted – but I thought they would give him a fair offer. And I think he’s probably seeing that that’s the best that he’s going to get without being to get in front of teams, so the longer that he’s not able to go and talk to these teams and see them face to face, the more it calms me down, honestly.”

You can listen to Bumpus’ full discussion with Tom, Jake and Stacy at this link or in the player below.

Follow 710 ESPN Seattle’s Michael Bumpus on Twitter.

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• Moore: Seahawks, other teams realizing Clowney’s not worth top dollar
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