Clowney Signs With The Titans And Reunites With Mike Vrabel

CBS Sports - After spending all offseason on the open market, Jadeveon Clowney has agreed to sign with the Tennessee Titans on a one-year deal, the team announced. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Clowney's deal is worth $12 million and has a max value of $15 million. Clowney will be reunited in Tennessee with Mike Vrabel, who was on the Houston Texans' staff during Clowney's first three seasons. Vrabel recently confirmed that the Titans had reached out to Clowney's agent. 

According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, the Seattle Seahawks continued to monitor Clowney's situation, but didn't feel like they were really in the discussion towards the end of the debacle. That $12 million salary was the very upper edge of their comfort zone, and it certainly looked like Clowney was at least going to get that. The New Orleans Saints also wanted to land Clowney and even reportedly spent the latter part of the week talking to some veterans on their roster about reworking contracts to create cap room. New Orleans was trying to talk Clowney into joining the Saints for less as they again gear up for a Super Bowl run during what is considered to be Drew Brees' last season.

The rich get richer. After landing LSU's Kristian Fulton at 61 in the draft and beefing up their already top ten secondary, the Titans just reeled in the big tuna of free agency in Jadeveon Clowney, to help bolster their line.

And honestly, for not that bad of a price.

Everybody said the number was $15M, so $12M with $3M in incentives seems like fair market value for a one year "prove-it" deal.

The Mike Vrabel factor obviously played a huge role here as Clowney effectively took 3 million less to head to Nashville to reunite with his former Houston coach.

Reports are the Saints were in an all-out frenzy to do whatever it took to snipe Clowney. Including a sign and trade deal with another team to help absorb the cap hit that would result. Talks were a 10 Million base, with a 5 Million bonus in exchange for a 2nd round pick.

PFT alluded to the other team being the Browns but Cleveland was also heavily involved in trying to land Clowney as well.

Which leads me to two questions.

1- "This is considered to be Drew Brees' last season?" Why? Is he over football? Is he just "over it" in general from all the backlash he suffered from voicing his opinion? Definitely not because his skills are diminishing. You're crazy if you don't think there are 6-8 teams in the league this season he could go to and not only start for, but make them a contender. 

2- Where are teams like the Browns and the Saints continuing to get all this money to continue to sign and go after big fish like this? I know I'm an idiot but I don't get it. 

Tennesee is going to be a lot of fun to watch this season. Mike Vrabel is building something really special in Nashville.

Between the Titans, Ravens, and Chiefs becoming even better in the offseason, and New England facing a whole list of player personnel obstacles it looks like the landscape is finally changing in the AFC. (Also, don't sleep on Buffalo).