No. 40: Edge - Jadeveon Clowney
Is Clowney the Cinderella-story player of the year? That could very well be the case after Baltimore signed him to (another, as it's been the case for him for the last thousand years) a one-year deal last summer and all the veteran has done is put on weekly shows on the gridiron.
As PFF put it, "Clowney is having a career year with Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald," and knowing him it's reasonable to expect Clowney to keep getting paid big bucks whether that's under a short or a mid/long-term deal next spring.
"Clowney is having a career year with Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald dialing things up for him, deploying simulated pressures and exotic blitzes out of various fronts. It seems Clowney will probably ride out the rest of his career on successive one-year deals that fluctuate based on his production the year prior, and he certainly earned himself a raise this season. He is on pace for his highest pressure rate, highest pass-rush win rate and most total pressures in a season."Brad Spielberger, Pro Football Focus
Clowney is earning only $2.5 million this season but he's still just playing his age-30 season. There should be nothing in his way to getting a humongous contract by someone ahead of 2024, but it's going to be down to him to capitalize on his nth breakout year and sign a larger multi-year deal or to keep betting on himself on endless one-year pacts.
The Ravens should definitely try to bring the veteran rusher back considering how perfect his fit has been within the organization, although again, that decision will have everything to do with how Clowney tries to sell himself and which type of contract he prefers.