Seahawks re-sign Josh Gordon, Clowney next?

September 3rd, 2020 | Written by Rob Staton

Yesterday we noted this had to be a week of action and things are starting to move.

With covid testing stretching over three days, the weekend is pretty much the deadline for getting business done ahead of the opener in Atlanta.

The Seahawks had another meeting with Justin Britt yesterday as it seems increasingly likely he’ll return as the starting center. They’ve also now made a move to re-sign Josh Gordon.

His status still seems somewhat unclear. The Seahawks were clearly waiting for him to be reinstated but there’s no official word yet (this could be forthcoming).

Either way, it was a no-brainer to bring him in. Russell Wilson needs all the weapons he can get. Gordon’s long list of suspensions and issues don’t change the fact that he’s incredibly talented and now creates a legit three-pronged attack with Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf.

We saw glimpses of his quality last season — including the remarkable downfield grab against Carolina and numerous vital third down conversions.

There’s no risk here because the price will be minimal. If he doesn’t last the season again, there won’t be any major financial ramifications. It’s a common sense signing with plenty of upside.

The question now is what happens next?

Could an end to the Jadeveon Clowney saga be forthcoming?

Again, if Clowney is going to play in week one something needs to be done by the weekend. We’ll see if deadlines spur results in this instance.

**Update**

The Seahawks did sign a returning defensive end but it’s Damontre Moore instead. They need someone to fill the hole left by Branden Jackson and there’s still no guarantee that Clowney will sign. It’s a plausible stop-gap for now.

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138 Responses to “Seahawks re-sign Josh Gordon, Clowney next?”

  1. Hoggs41 says:

    I wonder how it will go for Gordon making the team if he isnt reinstated? Do we know if he can go to the practice squad?

  2. TomLPDX says:

    So what will our WR room look like now going into Atlanta?

  3. Russ says:

    Rob, between the P-Rich signing and the Gordon signing, does this spell the end for David Moore?

    He’s sitting there with a 2 mil cap hit and sitting somewhere between the WR4 and WR6 in all likelihood (Lockett, Metcalf, and either Gordon or Dorsett ahead of him at the very least).

  4. Elmer says:

    When Gordon is reinstated it will be very interesting to see what his signing means for Dorsett, Moore, Richardson, Ursua. They won’t keep 7 WR’s and there isn’t room for more than 3 or 4 to be significant contributors.

  5. Georgia Hawk says:

    The speed in the Hawks WR is absurd. If Dorsett makes the team. that may be the fastest WR room in the league. Only to be countered by the complete lack of speed in the TE room….

    • HAWKTALKER#1 says:

      However, I think it would be shortsighted to discount the quality of our TE room. Speed does not necessarily mean quality in that room. Not a great comparison.

      • TomLPDX says:

        Totally agree HAWKTALKER, combined with our RB corps, the WR corps and the TEs, our offense is looking pretty darned good. Let’s hope the OLine can at least be average and Russ kills it this year.

        • Mike says:

          What excites me most about the WR speed is how far back opposing defenses will give cushions to respect it. If that frees up more space for RBs and TEs to operate, this could be dangerous

  6. James C says:

    I think the severity of Dorsett’s injury will determine who is gone. Would guess either him or Moore.

  7. Aaron says:

    Wonder what our WR group will look like after cuts on Saturday. My guess is Lockett, Metcalf, Richardson, Gordon, Moore with Ursua and Swain on the PS.

  8. Elmer says:

    With Britt, Damontre Moore, Clowney, and maybe Clay Matthews out there as possibilities I wonder how much cap room they need to free up and what actions they can take to do it? Cutting Finney does no good for 2020 cap room, right? As usual, there are probably some surprises in store for us.

  9. cha says:

    Can we draw any conclusions from the terminology used in the tweets on Britt?

    The second visit was described by Yates as a tryout.

    Can we conclude the first visit was COVID protocol and a look at his knee? And they liked what they saw, enough to actually “try him out” on this visit?

    Maybe I’m grasping at straws.

    • Rob Staton says:

      Very plausible cha

    • BC_Hawk says:

      I think his return is inevitable, but not worth the roster spot nor guaranteed salary at this time. He is training in town, and is a vet and knows how to get himself ready. He will resign after week one; my guess is they have been “showcasing” Pocic to increase his potential trade value (create for a 6th/7th likely and avoid Dead money. Pocic will be gone when he returns. Finney will be the backup across the interior..and maybe the LG once Iupati gets injured??

      • cha says:

        If the Hawks are worried about $336k dead cap Pocic money, they’ve got bigger problems to deal with LOL.

      • Chris Alexander says:

        It’s not the dead money that’s a concern, it’s the $1M difference between his dead money and his salary (~$1.4M) this year.

        If Seattle weren’t on the hook for a $1.2M injury settlement for Britt, I would say they wait to sign Britt on Sunday or Monday so they can carry someone on the initial roster that’s going to PUP/NFI/IR after the initial 53 is set. But doing so with Britt costs $1.2M so … ??? Actually cheaper to just cut Pocic if the team wants to bring Britt back as their Week 1 starter.

        • cha says:

          It’s really not. Pocic’s salary will just get replaced by the bottom guy on the roster. So it’s not a $1m gain if you cut him. At most it’s about $600-700k. But given Richardson, Gordon, Moore are signed and (hopefully) Clowney or Britt soon, that savings would probably drop even more as guys are pushed down the list and the last roster spot salary increases.

          • Chris Alexander says:

            Fair point. I was looking at it more from the perspective of Britt’s $1.2M injury settlement (if he’s not on a roster on Saturday) vs the ~$1M difference between Pocic’s cap hit if he (Pocic) is released (presimably to make room for Britt as the Week 1 starter).

  10. Sea Mode says:

    Update for the piece: re-instated too!

    Gregg Bell
    @gbellseattle
    ·3m

    Breaking #Seahawks news: Josh Gordon is back. His agent confirms the NFL has reinstated the former All-Pro WR from his 7th drug suspension, and that he is signing back to his newfound home.

  11. Gohawks5151 says:

    One down, couple more to go. I would think that reinstatement is coming. I would think Britt back too. Though it shouldn’t be depended on, the cuts will be interesting.

  12. Logan Lynch says:

    Damontre Moore too according to his agent.

  13. cha says:

    Joby Branion
    @jobybranion
    Congratulations to my guy Damontre Moore
    @tmoore94
    who signed with the
    @Seahawks
    today! So proud of his personal growth, resilience and determination. Written off by almost everyone – well, he’s baaaack!
    @VanguardSG

    @AggieFootball
    Gig ’em, brother!
    9:04 AM · Sep 3, 2020

    • Henry Taylor says:

      Does this mean no Clowney then?

      • All I see is 12s says:

        No. But I do think it’s a bad omen for Darrell Taylor. Moore is a rotational piece at best. Seems like we had that but if they think he’s an upgrade from what we have then OK

        • Logan Lynch says:

          Taylor will be on NFI. This is likely the replacement for Branden Jackson.

          • McZllĺ says:

            Meanwhile, AJ Epenesa is flattening OL players at Buffalo. If he makes it 10 sacks and 30 TFL this season, we will have some things to think about and some folks to fire.

            • Rob Staton says:

              If he does that, then it’ll merely be a good pick by Buffalo.

              Epenesa was massively overrated. Most of the league passed on him twice. He lasted to #54. It was no special error for the Seahawks to pass on him.

              • McZ says:

                The last good DL pick was Frank Clark, who the league deemed massively overrated/too big a risk, and passed upon twice, too.

                The player we picked is injured.

                • Rob Staton says:

                  Come on, those are two completely different scenarios. You can’t seriously be comparing Frank’s off field situation and Epenesa’s physical limitations 🤦‍♂️

                  • Mike says:

                    Yeah not a fair comp IMO. But then again, any dlinemen that went this year from our first pick to taylor or later its gonna be painful if they succeed quick. Yetur gross matos comes to mind, even though he really seemed to need a ton of coaching up.

                  • Hawkster says:

                    Confused. Is the measure of good draft scouting and good drafting measured in terms of drafting effective talent, or is it measured in terms of being able to hide behind arguments of “obvious physical limitations ” ?

                  • Rob Staton says:

                    What are you talking about?

                    A player either has physical limitations or he doesn’t. Pointing them out isn’t a review of “scouting”.

                • hawkfanforetenity says:

                  It’s early with Taylor, so let’s cut him some slack. And I think it was spelled out here pretty clearly what he was: one of the few twitchy pass rushers available in the draft. He’s a gamble based on his injury history and erratic production. So they gambled on the upside of a superior athlete.

            • Volume12 says:

              It’s no secret that I was personally higher on Epenesa than a LOT of people, he might not even live up to the early hype, but he also didn’t fit what Seattle needed. They have to see what Green or Collier are about. Adding a base end woulda made sense, but another young cat creates a logjam. They made that bed and have to now lie in it.

              There were no great LEO options last year. It’s not a surprise that Seattle took 1 w/ an injury concern. Those were the ones that fit what they needed.

              And 30 TFL? That would put him in JJ Watt, DeMarcus Ware, Strahan territory.

      • cha says:

        Mario Georgiev
        @MarioGeorgiev12
        4m

        Seahawks fans: We want Jadeveon Clowney

        Seahawks’ front office: We have Jadeveon Clowney at home

        Jadeveon Clowney at home:

        ProFootballTalk

        @ProFootballTalk
        · 11m
        Seahawks sign Damontre Moore https://wp.me/pbBqYq-bD2G

        • Hoggs41 says:

          I dont really get the Damontre Moore signing. We have enough guys unless Clowney comes back.

        • Ashish says:

          This is backup plan, if we don’t sign better player after 53 player cut or clowney. Worst case he can go to practice squad learn the system.

          • cha says:

            Worst case he can go to practice squad learn the system. provide veteran depth

            Moore knows the system. He’s been on and off the active and practice squad several times.

  14. Denver Hawker says:

    It’s nice to see the Hawks finally make some moves. I was beginning to wonder how long the charade would last of them trying to convince fans that all was okay.

    I’m cautiously optimistic about a Clowney deal. They can make cap room and are the best fit for him, but that’s all selective logic.

    • Sea Mode says:

      Is Britt really going to come back to a vet minimum deal? From top 10 center money to vet min.? Do you guys think there was even any real interest from other teams, or is he only valuable to us?

      • Justaguy says:

        Only valuable to us is my best guess. We didn’t see a significant drop at center last year when Britt went down. Not sure how anyone could see him as a saving grace for this OL.

  15. cha says:

    For what it’s worth John Lynch says they have no money to sign Clowney

    https://www.knbr.com/2020/09/03/john-lynch-talks-49ers-interest-in-signing-excellent-mohamed-sanu-week-1-injury-insight/

    Something similar took place when he was asked about JaDeveon Clowney, still a free agent. The 49ers have roughly $8.5 million in cap space according to OverTheCap. Lynch pointed to that as making a Clowney signing impossible.

    “We’re out of money, he said.”

  16. JJ says:

    Any players on hawks roster you think we can flip for draft capital next year prior to cuts?

  17. BC_Hawk says:

    Rob; loving the Podcasts. Have you and Robbie thought about doing one on potential vet DTs that MAY come available this weekend? I haven’t looked too much at other teams depth at the 3tech, but I am sure you have.

  18. JimQ says:

    Regarding Edge rushers in the 2021 draft….(looks to be a poor EDGE class, after rd-1)

    RE: Michigan EDGE-Kwity Paye;
    “”Classic boom/bust scenario if Paye has played his last collegiate snap. The No. 1 athletic “Freak” on Bruce Feldman’s list this fall, the 6-4, 271-pound Paye boasts an insane 6.37 second 3-cone, which would have topped all participants at the 2020 combine. Paye also has tested better than any defensive lineman or EDGE at the 2020 combine with a 4.57 forty and 4.15 pro shuttle time. Paye also owns a 34-inch vertical, 30 reps on the bench press, and a mind-blowing 11.3 in the 60-yard shuttle. Paye is extremely raw, more ball-of-clay-athlete than pure pass rusher at this time, but he still posted 50 tackles, 12.5 TFL and 6.5 sacks last season in his first year as a full-time starter, with a solid 77.8 PFF pass-rushing grade.”” – https://www.rotoworld.com/article/mock-drafts/thors-three-round-mock-draft

    Projected by Rotoworld (in mock draft) as Round #1, pick #27 by Dallas. Perhaps he could fall to Round 2 Seahawks pick projected in Round #2, pick #55???? — due to being raw, ineperienced and considered by GM’s as good potential, but not worth a first round pick? Anyone watched him or have opinions of his play and/or potential?

  19. vbullen65 says:

    Walter Football gave the Seahawks a “B” for signing Josh Gordon-they say he is “washed up”. That is not what I saw last year. Dude still has some juice left.

  20. Sea Mode says:

    Lol. Metcalf’s arm looks thicker than PRich’s leg…

    https://twitter.com/gbellseattle/status/1301612137098309632

  21. Rob Staton says:

    With Sullivan out of practise again today, seems like they’re going to stash him on IR (IMO) to protect him.

  22. Sea Mode says:

    😂🤣

    Gregg Bell
    @gbellseattle
    ·9s

    Pete Carroll, #Seahawks still in on Jadeveon Clowney?

    “Always competing. Always competing.”

  23. cha says:

    Press Conf w PC 9-3

    [jen mueller] How hard to know cuts need to be made? “Training & Strength staff gets lot of credit. Credit to players working so hard, ready for Week One. Healthy, great shape, continuity when we needed it. Pleased with whole flow of how it’s worked out. Haven’t had enough competition to make evaluation that we’d like to. No game snaps. I hoped work with Zoom made it, helped us throughout camp. Felt continuity different but some degree better.”

    [tim booth] Thoughts on bringing Gordon back? Reinstated immediately? “No indication right now. No word from league. Josh experience with us really positive. Worked hard, studied hard, incredibly plays. Made a great impression with us. Told you all along if we can get him back, we want him back. Happy to have him with our club?”

    [Curtis crab] Damontre Moore back? “Without D Taylor for a little longer, needed another guy in rotation. Effort impressed me. Great motor, chases football. Very serious now, really settled down, maturity process focused, was wild & crazy. Family gave him direction and focus.”
    [cc] Fit with pass rush in general? “Really good camps with Bruce & Benson, showed real spark. 16 sacks from last year. Alton Robinson can add in, a lot to ask of a pup, Damontre helps us.”

    [michael shawn dugar] Sullivan? “Hip thing bothering him, hasn’t gone away. Rehabbing. Good strar to camp. Didn’t get all the work he needs. Banged up right now.”
    [ms] Ogbuehi & Dunbar? “Pec strain real minor for Cedric. Quentin had a family funeral to attend.”

    [john boyle] No preseason, snaps, feel depth on roster? “Really pleased. Whole process with guys coming back, guys looking to mature in second year, marvelous advancements. Attitude and leadership 100% on point, carrying the message well. Guys following leaders. Control locker room well, all on same page, compete like crazy. Spirit on practice field, upbeat, positive, excited, going for it. Everything feels like it’s getting in line. Good place right now.”

    [bob condotta] Still in contact w Clowney? “Always competing.”
    [bob] Offseason moves, Adams, Dunbar, sense of urgency with this year? “No more than any year. Always trying to put together a competitive club. JS’s had a great offseason. Bold moves, great foresight and vision. Finalizing roster. Good competitive group.”

    [art thiel] Normal, U Michigan @ SeaTac, meet Jim Harbaugh at airport or take him out to dinner? “Wouldn’t mess with his routine, great coach. Glad you really think there’s something going there.”
    [art] Miss him in the NFCW? “Sure”
    [art] Sitting on a veranda sipping Courvosier and swapping stories? “His wife came over and said he doesn’t want to talk to me. She brought me and we talked. Great coach, brother too.”

    [Gregg bell] Why now with Josh Gordon? Why not two weeks ago, before? Something imminent? “Backstory huh? JS orchestrating this, trying to do as well as possible, timing came down to here. Best time to do it. We’ll see what happens.”
    [Gregg] Richardson shown? “Tough for Paul, hasn’t had a chance yet. Going at such a clip, want to get him started. Took some team reps first time today. Very difficult to show where he is.”
    [Gregg] Development part of camp lacking vs starter prep? “Yes, no question hindered. Days logged gotten to know better, understood better, come back to camp and apply all we had learned. Had to compete like crazy to get most out of it. Maxed out what we could have. Offseason such a connective aspect with team. We’ll see.”

    [joe fann] ?? camp “Really nice camp. Missed a couple days. Really smart football player, toughness showed up.”
    [joe] Decision at Center? “Tell you next week. I’ve made a decision, yeah. I don’t know why it came out like that LOL”

    [brady] KJ Wright camp stand at WILL? “Terrific camp, did everything we asked and looked great. No rush here, like what both bring, really excited about Jordyn.
    [brady] Moore? “Strong camp, solid throughout. Return game as well.”

    [moz veda] Character of Josh? “Done everything he could have done. No issues, no problems, nothing. People at league office hold him in high regard for all he’s been through. Terrific young man in all our exchanges. Give him opp.”

    [ben Arthur] Taylor still away? Timeline? Practicing? NFI? “Can’t tell you more specifically, depends on how he responds to workload. Want to be patient, want him back fully. Trainers really good for him. NFI real possibility.”

    [Curtis crab] Different weekend with no preseason, practice squad? “All games played, no film, that’s what our scouts do. Restudy formats from past. Guys that hit the wire. Much different than normal. No updated info. Info from draft. Maybe not as much movement with players. Maybe teams have to guess more. Very competitive situation. Evaluations done.”

  24. charlietheunicorn says:

    cha

    I love you man 😀

  25. Rob Staton says:

    Titans and the Saints in for Clowney:

    https://twitter.com/diannaESPN/status/1301653043239321601

    At least the Seahawks got Damontre Moore though. Great job.

  26. charlietheunicorn says:

    What a choice to be made at WR…..

    Seattle appears to have a bit of a log jam at the #3 spot now.
    #1 WR: Lockett
    #2 WR: Metcalf
    #3 WR: Moore, Gordon, Dorsett
    #4 WR: P. Rich
    #5 WR: Ursua, Swain, Thompson, Hart, Lenoire, Sullivan

    Seems pretty clear, unless there is an injury (or suspension) Moore is a goner on the 53….. but could come back to the PS, if he clears waivers. Price and position depth working against him. Speculation was rampant they would go with 6 WR and after looking at who they have on the roster right now…. they could go with 5 WR with good experience and 1 guy who is inexperienced (Ursua). RW would appreciate having experienced WR to toss the rock to…. under this unusual preseason limited reps situation.

  27. Rob Staton says:

    It’s so disheartening to see the Saints, with barely any cap room, making a huge late push to sign Clowney. Meanwhile the Seahawks are arseing around bringing back players like Damontre Moore to try and find something, anything, because a week before the season starts they’re going to be banking on Benson Mayowa and Rasheem Green for a pass rush.

    https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1301655056731852800

    What a total and utter abject failure by the Seahawks. Nobody should accept what they’ve done with the D-line this year.

    • cha says:

      But hey, they’re monitoring. They’ll be the first one to throw rice on Clowney and the Saints when they walk out of the church.

      Ian Rapoport
      @RapSheet
      The #Titans have also maintained interest in Jadeveon Clowney, with the #Seahawks monitoring. But the #Saints are pushing hard. Clowney would play right DE in an even front, on national TV more than he ever has been, with a chance to cash in for 2021 after a 1-year deal.

    • JLemere says:

      Well looking at the Saints cap space, they have 6.9 million in the top 51 and looking at their cap space spread, i can only see them opening up 4-5 million at best which puts it at 11-12 million, but they would need $ for PS and IR, so maybe 9 million on a one year deal is what they are offering? I guess the question is for Clowney is how much $ is he willing to give up for a super bowl contender.

      • TomLPDX says:

        And Kamara? Just toss him away like garbage?

        • JLemere says:

          These are just some of the players i picked for the “cut”

          1. Mario Edwards Jr.- opens up 2.4 million
          2. Nick Eason- opens up 3.8 million
          3. Margus Hunt- opens up 887.5 thousand
          4. Anthony Chickillo- opens up 887.5 thousand

  28. J says:

    If Clowney signs with the Saints it’ll be a steep discount. A bizarre decision.

    They have less than seven million cap left and no real ways to get more. I don’t see who they would restructure too, are they really going to push cap out when they are already potentially 75 million over cap next year?

    If Clowney wants to sign with the Saints it’d have to be for something like one year 5 million. If he prefers New Orleans enough to take an offer like that what more could any team do?

  29. cha says:

    Mike Garafolo
    @MikeGarafolo
    The #Saints have been talking to agents for players currently on the roster to see if they can restructure some deals in the coming days, sources say. The NFLPA currently has them at under $7m in cap space. So they’re working to create room in case they sign Jadeveon Clowney.
    4:14 PM · Sep 3, 2020

    Can the Seahawks talk to BJ Finney?

    • TomLPDX says:

      Either the Seahawks make a play for Clowney or they never really had any intention to. This is getting really old.

    • JLemere says:

      Problem Saints are dealing with is that there is a lot of dead money already tied to player contracts already. Plus it doesn’t help that there will be a cap restriction next year.

  30. cha says:

    Dianna Russini
    @diannaESPN
    While the price for Clowney is still too high for Seattle, I’m told the Jacksonville Jaguars are also monitoring the situation per sources.
    4:18 PM · Sep 3, 2020

  31. KennyBadger says:

    Maybe Russ can play DE? Ken Norton? Strong Mack? Good lord I hope this is Just Clowney camp crap trying to squeeze more $$$ from Seattle…

  32. Scot04 says:

    starting to look like always competing just means we’ll do just enough to make the playoffs. Can’t believe this is the defensive line we will go into week 1 with. Was holding out some hope for Clowney. That hope is fading fast.

  33. Gohawks5151 says:

    I know we all have been saying to just sign him for this eternal off-season but this is what he wanted all along. Teams fighting over him and driving the price up. Saints and Jax out of nowhere. Titans now moving. Seattle’s name is still in it. I just wonder if Seattle has a handshake deal to match. Still a few names to cut. Still some deals to restructure.

    • Rob Staton says:

      The latest report is the Seahawks are saying the price is too high.

      So there you go.

      They would rather gamble the entire season on Mayowa & Green & Moore & Collier.

      • Gohawks5151 says:

        Still got the game face on!

      • JLemere says:

        PC going all in on player development.

        • Rob Staton says:

          More like going all in on another wasted season.

          • JLemere says:

            probably, but as i said before PC is going to bet on himself to get the job done and when he fails, he will eventually decide to call it quits and the search for a new HC will begin.

            • Rob Staton says:

              None of this is a counter to a debate about the present

            • BC_Hawk says:

              Don’t think this has anything to do with Pete. JS is playing a game of poker that he has convinced Pete he will win. Every time Pete is asked, he makes some cliché comment about “compete” or “we’ll see” or “we’ve been talking”….. He is banking on Clowney’s return period. I, like everyone else here, hope so too. By not signing anyone else and essentially leaving the little bit of cap space out there, JS is all in with no consolation prize.

      • BruceN says:

        Did you see the latest on the Saints making a serious push and trying to restructure some contracts to sign JC? It will be disheartening to see a major NFC contender signing him for a couple mil more than what we are offering. Sad really.

  34. Steve Nelsen says:

    There is no way the Saints are signing Clowney. If they are clearing cap space, it is for Kamara.

    Seattle has more cap space than NO in 2020 and the Saints cap space in 2021 is a dumpster fire. I still think Clowney signs with Seattle but if he chooses to play somewhere else for less money than Seattle is offering, that is his choice. You can’t blame JS for that.

    • BC_Hawk says:

      I agree Steve; with their issue in 2021 already, they are just trying to restructure to allow a Kamara contract, AND maybe smooth some of the 2021 cap out words. Having said that, it does provide for good sound bites, and I am sure that they have contacted Clowney or Bus to see where they are at like every good GM should be doing.