Former first-overall pick Jadeveon Clowney spent the 2023 season with the Baltimore Ravens, and one proposed trade could have him reunite the team. Following a series of one-year deals, the South Carolina product hit free agency and finally secured a two-year contract with a desperate Carolina Panthers team. After trading Brian Burns to the New York Giants, the Panthers needed someone capable of getting after the quarterback and consistently applying pressure on the edge. The cash-strapped Ravens couldn’t afford to match Carolina’s offer and had to trust their internal depth to overcome his loss.
While Baltimore’s pass rush remains reliable, they could use another body. With the trade deadline approaching, Glenn Erby of Ravens Wire believes Baltimore could set their sites on Jadeveon Clowney. While his traditional stats aren’t anything to write home about this year, Erby notes that the former Raven “has maintained a 13+% pressure rate with the Panthers this season and also ranks No. 1 among edge defenders in run stops.”
Panthers, Ravens Could Agree to Jadeveon Clowney Trade
The Baltimore Ravens enter Week 9 with 24 sacks, the fifth-most in the league. While they certainly don’t struggle to get after the quarterback, their pass rush is remarkably top-heavy and the team could benefit from executing a Jadeveon Clowney trade. Longtime veteran Kyle Van Noy is playing like a man possessed, refusing to give into age while recording a team-high seven sacks. Meanwhile, former first-round pick Odafe Oweh has made the most of his new opportunities, recording 4.5 sacks in the starting role vacated by Clowney.
However, outside of those two, the Ravens don’t have anyone who can consistently take down the quarterback. Defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike is still a good player, but he hasn’t recaptured his 2023 form. Nobody else on the team has more than two sacks, and that must change if Baltimore wants to go on a deep playoff run. A Jadeveon Clowney trade would give Baltimore a much-needed third presence on the edge, but will the Ravens pay the price for the veteran?
Possible Cost
The hardest part of a Jadeveon Clowney trade is coming to terms on a fair deal for both sides. Clowney is still a good player, but he’s no superstar and is on the wrong side of 30. Seeing as he’s under contract for 2025, the Panthers have no incentive to trade him, as they’ll need someone to rush the passer next year. The Ravens will need to make a trade worth Carolina’s effort, so it will probably take more than the fifth- and sixth-round pick swap that landed Diontae Johnson.
Looking across the league, the only trade we’ve seen for an edge defender is when New England sent Josh Uche to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick. Clowney is better than Uche and has an additional year under contract, so he should net a larger return. The Ravens would likely need to give up a fourth-round pick to reunite with Jadeveon Clowney, but is that a price worth paying? Carolina already has Baltimore’s fifth-round pick, and the Ravens love to build through the draft. Perhaps they decide Clowney is worth the price, or perhaps they look for a cheaper option.
Main Photo: Albert Cesare – USA Today Sports
