Panthers Projected To Sign Free Agent Pass-Rusher Jadeveon Clowney

The Carolina Panthers made a huge splash this offseason when they completed a trade with the Chicago Bears centered around the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Panthers paid a steep price, surrendering four draft picks and wide receiver D.J. Moore to get the deal done.

But, there is no price too steep if you feel as if you came away with your franchise quarterback of the future. That is exactly what Carolina is hoping they did as they used the No. 1 pick on Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.

If Young can live up to expectations, the Panthers are in a great spot heading into the future. However, this is a roster that still does need some work before they can be considered contenders even for a playoff spot.

One area that needs to be shored up is the pass rush defensively. Carolina has a star in edge rusher Brian Burns but there isn’t much established help elsewhere on the roster. Last season he recorded 12.5 of the team’s 35 total sacks. 

Linebacker Frankie Luvu had 7.0, which was nearly a career-high and nearly matched his total from the first four seasons of his career. Linebacker/Defensive end Marquis Haynes had a career-high 5.0 as well.

Finding pass-rushing help isn’t easy, but the Panthers could dip back into free agency for some. That is what Liam Henley of ClutchPoints predicts they will do, as he believes that Carolina will be the landing spot for Jadeveon Clowney.

The No. 1 overall pick from the 2014 NFL Draft had a very tough 2022 season with the Cleveland Browns. After registering 9.0 sacks in 2021, he had only 2.0 in 2022 as he didn’t see eye-to-eye with defensive coordinator Joe Woods.

While the sack production has been inconsistent during his career, Clowney has played at his best when paired with an elite pass rusher opposite of him. Burns could be the next in line after he spent time with J.J. Watt and Myles Garrett.

Even though his numbers are underwhelming for a former No. 1 pick, Clowney can still make an impact even when he isn’t sacking the quarterback. He does an excellent job of setting the edge in the run game, something the Panthers could certainly use more of after being below-average across the board on that side of the ball.

Adding a veteran of that caliber certainly would help the Panthers. This is a relatively young team at a few spots on the roster, so having someone with the experience of Clowney would help out a new coaching staff immensely.