After Signing Clowney, Titans’ Super Bowl Odds Listed at +2800
- Free agent edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney is signing with the Tennessee Titans
- Tennessee is listed at odds of +2800 to win Super Bowl 55
- Read below for analysis and whether or not the Titans are good bet to raise the Lombardi Trophy this season
Ultimately, it would appear that familiarity is what won the Jadeveon Clowney sweepstakes for the Tennessee Titans.
The three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher and free agent chose the Titans, agreeing to terms with the club late Saturday. The New Orleans Saints were the other team that figured heavily in last-minute negotiations.
Titans head coach Mike Vrabel spent three seasons as linebackers coach and one as defensive coordinator with the Houston Texans from 2014-17 when Clowney played for the Texans.
Tennessee, AFC Championship Game finalists a year ago, are listed at average odds of +3000 across the leading sportsbooks in the Super Bowl odds.
DraftKings list the Titans at +2800 to win Super Bowl 55.
Super Bowl 55 Odds
| Team | Odds at DraftKings |
|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | +600 |
| Baltimore Ravens | +650 |
| San Francisco 49ers | +900 |
| New Orleans Saints | +1100 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | +1400 |
| Dallas Cowboys | +1500 |
| New England Patriots | +2000 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | +2000 |
| Seattle Seahawks | +2000 |
| Indianapolis Colts | +2200 |
| Buffalo Bills | +2500 |
| Minnesota Vikings | +2500 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | +2500 |
| Green Bay Packers | +2800 |
| Tennessee Titans | +2800 |
Odds as of Sept. 5th
Clowney played last season with the Seattle Seahawks.
Familiar Territory For Clowney
Aside from his relationship with Vrabel, Clowney is also coming back to the AFC South. That’s where he spent the first five seasons of his NFL career after the Texans selected him first overall in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Oddsmakers had Tennessee pegged as Clowney’s final destination for quite some time now. The Titans were the +150 favorites to get him to sign on the dotted line back in the beginning of May.
Jadeveon Clowney has told Titans officials he plans to sign with them, per sources. He has also texted with his new teammates his enthusiasm for joining the team. Clowney is expected to travel to Nashville soon.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) September 6, 2020
Two other moves set the stage for Clowney’s arrival in Nashville. In March, the Titans dealt five-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jurrell Casey to the Denver Broncos for a paltry seventh-round draft pick. The move appeared to be nothing more than a salary dump. It cleared $10 million in cap space for Tennessee to invest elsewhere.
In July, the Titans and NFL rushing leader Derrick Henry agreed to terms on a four-year contract extension that actually served to lower Henry’s cap hit from $10.2 million to $6 million.
A Difference Maker
The Titans were of the opinion that they were one elite pass rusher away from being a Super Bowl team. They believe that they’ve got their man in Clowney.
Even though he accounted for just three sacks last season with the Seahawks, underlying analytics compiled by ESPN display how much of a disruptive force Clowney was to opposing offenses.
Landry: 4.64 at 6’-2”, 252 lbs
Clowney: 4.53 at 6’-5”, 266 lbs
Beasley: 4.53 at 6’-3”, 246 lbs
Simmons: 4.85* at 6’-4”, 305 lbs*reported time from his training before his ACL injury
Not a stretch to call this the most athletic pass rush foursome in the NFL.#InsaneClownPosse pic.twitter.com/ErvhuPB6Zk
— Mike Herndon (@MikeHerndonNFL) September 5, 2020
He was fifth in ESPN’s Pass Rush Win Rate at 24.8%. Clowney faced double teams on 26.3% of his edge-rush snaps. That was the third-highest rate among qualifying defenders.
He recorded 18.5 sacks from 2017-18. Over the past three seasons, Clowney has forced seven fumbles and recovered eight.
Last season, Tennessee was tied for 13th in the NFL with 43 sacks.
Are Titans A Legit Contender?
Even though Tennessee was among the league’s best teams during the second half of the 2019 NFL season, football people don’t seem sold on the Titans as elite Super Bowl contenders.
They’re rated sixth among AFC teams. Among AFC South teams, the Indianapolis Colts, who also made bold offseason moves to add quarterback Philip Rivers and DT DeForest Buckner, are given better odds (+2200) to win it all.
Jadeveon Clowney is expected to sign with the Tennessee Titans, per @diannaESPN
Clowney is the 2nd highest-graded EDGE defender vs. the rush (91.6) since entering the NFL in 2014 pic.twitter.com/tRaeXy5RkG
— PFF (@PFF) September 5, 2020
This reluctance could be a lack of faith in Titans QB Ryan Tannehill, who turned in a career year last season.
Catching lightning in a bottle two years running is a lot to ask for an offense that relies heavily on Henry to carry the load.
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
