Sizing Up Jadeveon Clowney
The NFL Combine reminds me of Mardi Gras, players strip down and are sized up. Owners and general managers then determine which player they’re going to throw their best beads towards.
The team with the biggest and best beads this year, is the Houston Texans. They have a ton of work to do. Three quarterbacks and South Carolina defensive end, Jadeveon Clowney are the front runners is the race.
Rick Smith’s Brain
There struggle in Houston starts at quarterback, Rick Smith has acknowledged the importance of the position, saying:
"“Quarterback is obviously the most important position in our game because it’s difficult to win without one,”"
Rick then decided to mind [expletive] everyone by stating,
"… If you polled 32 general managers, you’d probably get a bunch of them to say the quarterback and others who said the guy getting after the quarterback.”"
ESPN.com’s Tania Ganguli gave us some added insight to Rick Smith’s thought process,
"That answer came after I posed this hypothetical to him: If there were two players who you knew for sure would be five-time Pro Bowlers, one a quarterback and one a defensive end, which would you take? Smith said he’d want both, but ultimately went with the quarterback."
So does this mean we’re picking a quarterback?
"If the Texans truly stick to their need-free philosophy, that mentality won’t matter. They won’t pass on the player they view as the best in this draft, even if he doesn’t fit what the Texans need most."
Feb 22, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney speaks to the media in a press conference during the 2014 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Jadeveon Clowney – What we know
Clowney measured in at the combine at 6′-5¼” and 266 pounds. His arm span is a whooping 83 inches. Pretty impressive. The wowing didn’t stop at his physical appearance. Clowney ran the 40 yard dash three times. His first two unofficial runs came in at 4.47 and 4.48. The one that counted was recorded at 4.53.
He made a name for himself his sophomore year of college tallying up 13 sacks and 50 tackles.
On Espn.com’s draft card Clowney’s intangibles are listed as average.
"Work ethic has improved. A bit immature as a freshman, but has progressed in that area as well. No off-the-field baggage to our knowledge. African-American Studies major. Mostly raised in single-parent home by mother Josenna. Father, David Morgan, was jailed for robbery for nearly 12 years of Jadeveon’s life."
Thoughts
The red flag with Clowney has been his work ethic and maturity from day one. When it comes to pure overall talent and “NFL size”, Clowney fits the mold. That said, he should be the number one pick. Work ethic and maturity can be taught. What you can’t teach is natural instincts and proven production.
Clowney is basically Johnny Manziel, except he has NFL size and plays on the defensive side of the ball. No one questions either one of those guys ability to make plays. Both players have the most upside. Blake Bortles and Teddy Bridgewater draft stock suffer from the conferences in which they played. They both are also missing that “homerun” quality that lives in Manziel and Clowney.
I’m not eating the spoonfuls of word vomit, that Rick Smith is dishing out. Even if Clowney is the absolute best player in the draft, the Texans will still pick a quarterback.
It’s a three man race between Manziel, Birdgewater, and Bortles.
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