Browns teammates welcome Jadeveon Clowney back into the fold

BEREA — Jadeveon Clowney remains a man of few words.

When news of his impending re-signing with the Browns escaped, he apparently tweeted, “Run it back.”

He was equally judicious with his words with linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. recently. Walker said he texted Clowney, whose signing became official Wednesday, a month ago and received no reply. Walker texted again after that news broke and received a simple reply this time around: “Super Bowl.”

More: Browns notebook: 'I want him here': Myles Garrett doubles down on Jadeveon Clowney sales pitch

The process to reach that lofty goal begins for the Browns defense as many pieces to their puzzle return for the upcoming season. There’s little doubt that getting Clowney, who participated in organized team activities, back represents a significant boost from a schematic standpoint and for morale.

Teammates excited for Jadeveon Clowney's return

“I’m super excited. It makes my job easier so I’m super excited that he’s back. He has an aura about him, too. He’s a big energetic guy,” second-year cornerback Greg Newsome II said after practice Wednesday. “I would say he’s kind of like the big brother but you’re able to relate to him as he relates to you as well, so definitely excited to have him back and he was definitely great for us last year and he’s looking to do even better things this season.”

Clowney signed a one-year deal that could pay him up to $11 million with incentives, according to reports. The Browns confirmed the deal Wednesday.

“[It’s] great to have JD back. He’s a very active player. He was very productive for us last season,” coach Kevin Stefanski said. “He’s very popular in this building, so having him in the meeting room and having him in this building, you felt his energy and the guys were excited he was here.”

The excitement may stem from knowing what Clowney can do on the field.

Anthony Walker Jr. welcomes Jadeveon Clowney

“Another dynamic pass rusher. At the end of the day, that’s the game of football,” Walker said. “You want to stop the run, get teams in third-and-long or get a big lead and make teams have to throw the ball, and when you have two elite pass rushers on the edge it makes our job a lot easier, so definitely to have him to go along with Myles, it’s a pretty sight to see as a linebacker.”

The former No. 1 overall pick by the Houston Texans revived his career playing for the Browns last season. He played in 14 of 17 games, had 37 tackles, nine sacks, 19 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles and two passes defensed. He was a Pro Bowl alternate, despite missing two games — the Oct. 10 shootout against the Los Angeles Chargers and another in December after contracting COVID-19.

His career stats include 292 tackles, 41 sacks, 105 quarterback hits, 12 forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries, an interception, 20 passes defensed and four touchdowns. He produced more than respectable sack totals last season. but Clowney came to the Browns with a reputation for stopping the run.

Teammates lobby for Jadeveon Clowney to return

He was never far from his teammates’ minds, especially Garrett, who began recruiting Clowney to return toward the end of last season and lobbied throughout the offseason.

And despite drafting defensive ends Alex Wright and Isaiah Thomas in the third and seventh rounds, respectively, and adding Chase Winovich via trade, along with signing Stephen Weatherly and Isaac Rochell, the Browns hadn’t come close to filling Clowney’s shoes.

Newsome said he’s not surprised to see Clowney's return.

“Especially when we got Deshaun [Watson]. You put the pieces together and things like that and just how successful he played last season playing alongside Myles Garrett,” he said. “And he sees what we’re trying to build here, and I think everyone sees it, and that kind of shows you that he knows that we have something special on this team so he wanted to be a part of it.”

Clowney and Watson, who the Browns acquired in a trade, were teammates on the Houston Texans in the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

Reach George M. Thomas at gthomas@thebeaconjournal.com or on Twitter @ByGeorgeThomas.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns teammates welcome Jadeveon Clowney with open arms