CLEVELAND — One year after passing on signing with the Cleveland Browns, Jadeveon Clowney was willing to give them a second chance.
Why? For Clowney, who agreed to a one-year deal with the Browns on Wednesday, the reasoning was simple.
"They winning. They're a great team. They're definitely a winning team," Clowney said at his introductory press conference. "They won 12 games last year, right? More than what my team I played for won last year."
While the three-time Pro Bowl selection was laughing as he answered, there was some obvious truth in his sentiment. One year ago, the Browns were a franchise in flux, having just hired their second head coach in as many years after amassing a disappointing 6-10 record in 2019. Now, Cleveland finds itself one of the league's trendiest teams, posting an 11-5 regular-season record before winning its first playoff game since 1994 with a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round.
That's not to say, however, that Clowney's decision was as simple as the Browns having a better record than the Tennessee Titans did last season.
For one, Clowney's lone season with the Titans was a tough one, as he appeared in just eight games before suffering a season-ending meniscus injury. Since his most recent Pro Bowl season in 2018, the No. 1 pick has amassed just 3.5 sacks -- each of which came in 2019 when he was playing for the Seattle Seahawks.
Clowney's recent production -- of lack thereof -- had an obvious effect on his free agency market, as his contract with the Browns marks his second consecutive one-year deal. In Cleveland, the 28-year-old South Carolina product is looking to rejuvenate his once-promising career while playing alongside one of the league's premier pass-rushers in Myles Garrett.
Factor in that Clowney's new agent was more open to signing with the Browns than his previous one was and in the end, it was hard for him to find a better fit.
"I get to play with other great players beside me," Clowney said. "That was basically it: who I can play with and who can help me get to further on in my career."