Las Vegas Raiders should definitely add Jadeveon Clowney

Las Vegas Raiders should definitely add Jadeveon Clowney

Can the Raiders afford Jadeveon Clowney?

If there is mutual interest between Clowney and the Raiders, then there are a multitude of ways to make this work. As mentioned, the Raiders currently have an estimate $8 million in cap space remaining when all of the rookie deals are accounted for, so that does not leave a lot of room for a player of Clowney’s quality.

However as we also mentioned, that number is often fluid given the non-guaranteed nature of NFL contracts.

There are a number of players that could be considered as expendable if Clowney was to join the Raiders as they could shed the salaries of Arden Key and Kyle Wilber, or others to make room. NFL teams, including the Raiders, have restructured deals in the past to turn salary in to a signing bonus to generate cap space so that is an option as well.

Clowney would likely have to agree to a discount of sorts from his reported demands of $18 million per year but he may be inclined to do so to join one of the NFL’s prestige franchises in a growing media market that the NFL is giving plenty of attention to.

The lack of income tax, similar to what he experienced in Houston, could help sway that decision along with Gruden selling him on his vision for the Raiders.

Adding a player of Clowney’s ability would immediately improve the Raiders defense and would give them another marketable star to boost the team’s national profile. Having a solid defense with some budding or under the radar studs is a good recipe for success but throwing one of the best defensive ends in the league in the mix could make for a very special end product.

The Raiders must do everything in their power to make this rumor a reality.