BEREA, Ohio — Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry mentioned he is “hopeful” the team will sign Jadeveon Clowney after the veteran defensive end visited the facility Wednesday.
“Really good visit,” Berry mentioned Thursday. “Things that we still have to work through. Hopeful that we can add to the team, but it’s still in the balance.”
The 33-year-old Clowney had a two-year stint from 2021-22. He recorded 11 sacks in two seasons with the Browns. However, Clowney’s tenure in Cleveland had an unceremonious ending. Toward the end of the 2022 season, Clowney was quoted by Cleveland.com saying the Browns were more worried about getting individual accolades for former Browns defensive end Myles Garrett than winning games.
Jadeveon Clowney recorded 11 sacks in two seasons with the Browns (2021-22). General manager Andrew Berry says he’s “hopeful” the organization can reunite with the pass rusher after he visited Wednesday. Eric Gay/APThe Browns sent Clowney home the next day and made him inactive for the final game. Cleveland released Clowney months later. The next season, as a member of the Baltimore Ravens, Clowney mentioned there was no “bad blood” with the organization and that his comments were “locker room talk that got out.”
Berry mentioned he has no reservations about bringing Clowney back to Cleveland.
“Reconciliation is possible,” Berry mentioned. “And I don’t subscribe to the notion of defining people by really their worst or best one. But in this case, a moment of weakness, he made a mistake. It’s something you talk through.
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“We’ve maintained a good relationship with JD since 2022. And I think the second thing is we had him for two years and there’s certainly a lot more positives than negatives despite how it ended. So, we do feel comfortable bringing him back into the organization, if it’s the right fit on both sides.”
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 draft, Clowney had a team-high 8.5 sacks, as well as 32 pressures last season in 13 games for the Dallas Cowboys. Clowney has 66.5 career sacks over his 12-year career.
The Browns have been in the market for a rotational pass rusher after opting not to sign A.J. Epenesa in March because of a failed physical. Clowney could join a new-look defensive line that will be led by two-time Pro Bowler Jared Verse, whom the Browns acquired in the blockbuster trade that sent Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams.