NFL Rumors: Chris Clemons Leaving Jacksonville Jaguars For Seattle Seahawks


NFL rumors are swirling around Chris Clemons. According to ESPN, the 34-year-old defensive end is on the verge of signing a contract to make a return to the Seattle Seahawks. Clemons spent the past two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars before the team gave up on him being their savior as a pass rusher. Chris visited with the Miami Dolphins, a team rebuilding their defensive line, before deciding that it would be best to return to the team that he won a Super Bowl with.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were really hoping that Chris Clemons could have helped them get back to the NFL Playoffs. They haven’t been to the post season since 2007. The Jaguars haven’t even had a winning season since then. Clemons was lured to Jacksonville by Gus Bradley, who was the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks when Chris played for the team. Clemons had three sacks during his entire tenure with the Jaguars, which is a lot less than the 38 that he accomplished during four seasons with the Seahawks.

Jacksonville Jaguars coach Gus Bradley
Gus Bradley [Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images]
As of right now, it appears that the Seattle Seahawks have signed Chris Clemons to be a backup. He’s penciled in to back up Cliff Avril at the LEO position. In the defensive system that Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll implements, it’s a hybrid position that mixes elements of the defensive end and linebacker positions.

If you’re playing for the Seattle Seahawks, and you want to shine at your brightest, then the LEO position is where you want to be. There, you get to focus solely on pass rushing and disrupting the offensive backfield. It’s where you get to put up the gaudy sack stats if you’re great at beating offensive tackles in one-on-one match ups. The Seahawks like to line up three big defensive linemen to occupy four offensive linemen, so the LEO doesn’t get double teamed.

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril
Cliff Avril [Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images]
To give you an idea of just how fun the LEO position can be, it is believed that Bruce Irvin left in free agency and signed with the Oakland Raiders because he wasn’t happy that Pete Carroll did not give him enough reps at the position. Since signing with the Raiders, Irvin has openly complained that he could not be at his best if he was playing the strong side linebacker position, where he has a tight end to deal with.

If Chris Clemons does really well as a backup for Cliff Avril, then the Seattle Seahawks coaching staff will find a way for him to get on the field more frequently. One of the ways that they can do that is by giving him minutes at the strong side linebacker position, which was vacated by Bruce Irvin.

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll [Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images]
Terms of the deal between Chris Clemons and the Seattle Seahawks haven’t been disclosed yet. However, there have been educated guesses as to what financial range he will fall into. More than likely, the deal will be for a year or two. Clemons was averaging a little more than $4 million a season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. With his decline, he’s unlikely to be making that much, so there’s a chance that it might fall into the $2-3 million range.

Chris Clemons won’t be the first NFL player to leave a Super Bowl winning team to sign with another franchise before making his way back. Alvin Harper cashed in when he won the championship with the Dallas Cowboys. In free agency, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers handed over a ton of money to Harper, who didn’t produce as well as expected. He returned to the Cowboys and didn’t do so well. Clemons is hoping that his story has a better ending.

[Photo by Jay Drowns/Getty Images]

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