The Seattle Seahawks improved their pass rush immensely without giving much up to import Jadeveon Clowney on Saturday.
Seahawks general manager John Schneider told SI.com's Albert Breer that the versatility Clowney brings to the table made bringing him into the fold a no-brainer.
"He can do whatever he wants to do when he wants to do it," Schneider told Breer. "That's what sticks out -- he can do whatever he wants to do whenever he wants to do it. He's a freak athletically."
The Seahawks added a former No. 1 overall pick and didn't give up much in return: a pass rusher that might have been cut (Barkevious Mingo), a backup linebacker (Jacob Martin -- replaced by rookie Cody Barton) and a third-round pick (that could be replaced with a compensatory selection the following year). To top that all off, the Texans agreed to pay $7 million of Clowney's salary, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Sunday.
With the Seahawks losing pass rushers Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett, Frank Clark, etc. in recent years, along with Jarran Reed's suspension to start the season, disrupting the passer looked to be a problem for Seattle entering the season. Clowney helps cover a lot of those issues.
As an elite run defender who can move all over the line -- like Bennett did in his Seattle days -- Clowney is an ideal athlete for Pete Carroll's system.
Schneider told Breer that sides had discussed a Clowney trade back before the draft, but with Seattle deep in contract talks for Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner it wasn't in the cards at the time. With those big deals in the past, and the Texans' asking-price plummeting, Seattle made its move on cutdown day.
Even if Clowney is just a one-year rental for Schneider, it was a move that helps fill a huge gap in Seattle.
"You never feel like you have enough pass rushers," Schneider said. "And that's not necessarily a reflection of the people you have here. It's just, we're constantly looking at all positions, but especially how you improve your pass rush, for sure."
Improve it he did. Immensely.
