Browns Should Stick it to Jadeveon Clowney and Sign Everson Griffen

It goes without saying that Jadeveon Clowney is the single best free agent still available. The three-time Pro Bowler entered this offseason with the hope of reseting the market for pass rushers, and those demands have seen teams around the NFL show minimal interest in signing him.

Though his price tag has dropped, Clowney's reported unwillingness to ink a short-term contract is working against his ability to find a new home.

All of these variables have brought us to this conclusion: the Cleveland Browns should stick it to the former No. 1 overall pick and sign fellow defensive end Everson Griffen.

The Browns are said to be major players in the Clowney sweepstakes, but there's really no reason for general manager Andrew Berry to pursue the 27-year-old stud any further after he reportedly turned down a monster offer from the franchise. At 32, Griffen is surprisingly the more productive player. Across the last three seasons, the longtime Minnesota Viking has posted 109 tackles, 26.5 sacks, 62 quarterback hits and four forced fumbles in 41 stars.

In comparison, Clowney, who's supposedly in the prime of his career, has logged 137 tackles, 21.5 sacks 55 QB hits and seven forced fumbles in 44 contests. Do the math, folks. Griffen's numbers are better and he's played in fewer games.

There's no doubting that the South Carolina product could blow up alongside Myles Garrett, Sheldon Richardson, Olivier Vernon and Larry Ogunjobi in Cleveland, but Griffen has already proven he can register Pro Bowl numbers while playing with star DE Danielle Hunter for five seasons in Minnesota. That, and the fact that he'll be much cheaper than Clowney, makes the former fourth-round pick the safer bet.