Houston Texans: Three reasons why to trade Jadeveon Clowney now

Reason #1: The high cost of the Houston Texans retaining Jadeveon Clowney

You know and I know that Clowney will be able to secure a contract that will easily range in the triple-digits of total compensation.  It’s all a matter of when and if the Houston Texans will be the ones to do it.

Clowney is currently working off his 5th-year extension that is worth $12.3 million for 2018.  After having struggles to stay healthy through the earlier parts of his career, he has been now for the most part.

After missing 12 games in his rookie season in 2014, Clowney has only missed five out of a possible 50 games up until this point.  He has been available to play but the fact that he arthroscopic surgery on his knee over the off season and has still yet to knock the rust off his level of play is alarming.

Even though he’ll likely be okay, I have concerns on if this will be a common occurrence and if the windfall of cash that he would receive would be justified.

The Houston Texans certainly have the money to do it — they have $16.5 million in cap space this season and they’ll have $92.9 million in 2019 as well as $118.9 million in 2020.

But the team is likely being cautious because of his return of an injury that can have a significant impact on his motor.  They can always use the franchise tag on him after this season — currently a one-year deal worth about $15 million for a linebacker in 2018 — and revisit negotiations in 2020.

J.J. Watt is a perfect example of why the Houston Texans are being so prudent with these mega-deals.  After enjoying back-to-back seasons of winning Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2015, Watt deservedly was awarded a six-year, $100 million deal which is still the richest in franchise history.

Through the 2017 season, Watt had appeared in eight out of a possible 32 games, suffering from various yet devastating maladies, slowing his momentum to consistently be the league’s best defensive player.

I’d like to see Clowney get those honors as well but it remains to be seen if he will be able to with so much competition at his position.  Had Clowney been great enough to secure those DPOY honors, there’d be no question that he’d have his deal locked in right now.

If the Houston Texans aren’t going to get the production they expect out of such an impact player, it’s quite understandable that they hold off on drawing up the paperwork.

I don’t necessarily think that Houston Texans should treat this as a something that must be done on their “to-do” list just because he was No. 1 pick overall in 2014 as I do think he could be doing better.  What’s my second reason?  Let’s move on.