#Titans play coy as Jadeveon Clowney free-agency flirtation continues

Former No. 1 overall draft pick Jadeveon Clowney is still stirring up interest from the Titans, even after the team doled out a last-minute, $50 million contract extension to running back Derrick Henry earlier this week.

General manager Jon Robinson told ESPN’s “NFL Live” on Thursday that the Titans are continuing to monitor Clowney’s status and, “may or may not have had conversations” with him recently.

“We’re constantly exploring the players that are on the market, players that can come in here and help our football team while also trying to, especially in today’s world with the pandemic and the uncertainty that looms for the 2021 season and 2022 with salary cap,” Robinson said.

The statement is certainly vague, but would track with comments he made back in June when he spoke of a mutual interest between the two parties on a Zoom call.

“I know he wants to play,” Robinson said at the time. “I think we would be a pretty good fit for him.”

The Seahawks (Clowney’s former squad), Dolphins, Browns, Titans and most recently, the Raiders are among the teams that have reportedly made offers to the pricey edge rusher this offseason. Cecil Lammey of Denver’s 104.3 The Fan reported earlier this month that Raiders’ head coach Jon Gruden “really wants him,” and “would like to up the offer.”

A handful of other teams, including the Eagles, Jets and Giants, have also flirted with the possibility of signing the three-time Pro Bowler.

The sticking point for 27-year-old Clowney thus far has been cash. At the outset of free agency, he was seeking a hefty $21 million-per-year deal that would have put him on par with the Cowboys’ DeMarcus Lawrence and the Bears’ Khalil Mack.

Henry’s blockbuster signing actually bolsters the probability that the Titans can make an attractive offer to the oft-injured star. As noted by Brent Dougherty of 104.5 The Zone in Nashville on Thursday, Henry’s four-year deal includes a $12 million signing bonus, which means his 2020 cap hit is just $6 million because signing bonuses are typically amortized over the span of a contract.

According to Spotrac, this leaves the team with over $24 million in cap space should they decide to make another push for the freakishly athletic lineman before the start of the 2020 NFL season.

“If he wants to come to Tennessee, we’d definitely welcome him with open arms,” Henry said of Clowney.