The Texans are hoping Clowney can eventually join Watt, but they’ll be waiting a little longer. Clowney is still physically unable to perform going into camp:

LB Jadaveon Clowney placed on active/PUP list by #Texans.

— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) July 27, 2015

HT: BSO

Micro fracture knee surgery is very serious. It took some of the best years from athletes such as Amare Stoudemire and Tracy McGrady in years past. Will Clowney be the same? Or will he bounce back?

Right now the projections are not looking good:

NFL draft insider Tony Pauline has heard from a “number of people” that there is “serious concern” about Texans OLB Jadeveon Clowney’s surgically repaired knee.

Pauline cites “numerous sources, including those close to the Texans” when cautioning to “not expect much” from Clowney in 2015. “He may struggle to ever regain full health from the microfracture surgery,” Pauline writes. As of late January, Clowney could bear no weight on his knee. He also had the knee scoped before his microfracture, in addition to sports hernia surgery last June. Clowney appeared in only four games as a rookie. Feb 19 – 1:21 PM

Source: TFY Draft Insider (Rotoworld)

Hopefully this inspire the Houston media to lay off Clowney for “taking games off” and allow him to heal guilt free. The last thing this team needs is to look back and think “what if” for the next five years.

According to FootballBettingCenter.com, Jadeveon Clowney, defensive end of the University of South Carolina, is favorite in the odds to be selected by the Houston Texans, followed by UCF quarterback, Brian Bortles.

Although the Texans need a quarterback after the departure of Matt Schaub, they can’t let go the talent of Clowney, who finished his career with the Gamecocks with 85 tackles and 24 sacks. In 2012, he established new school records in sacks (13) and tackles for loss (23.5). He was chosen as the Defensive Player of the Year in the Southeastern Conference.

Selecting him instead of a quarterback is not a bad plan for the Texans, as he could be an excellent complement for J.J. Watt, who in three years with Houston has accomplished 217 tackles and 36.5 sacks, 20.5 of which were in 2012.

Having both players would be helpful to the defense, especially being in the same division as Indianapolis Colts and their quarterback Andrew Luck. Against the pass, the Texans finished last season as number three in the league with only 195 yards allowed per game but were 29th in sacks (32), just above the Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars (31).

If Bill O’Brien’s team takes Clowney, it will be the first time since the 1996 and 1997 seasons that there is not a quarterback in the first overall pick. The receiver Keyshawn Johnson, of USC, and tackle Orlando Pace, of Ohio State, were chosen respectively those years.

Clowney would be the second player from the University of South Carolina to be the first overall pick, joining running back George Rogers, who was taken in 1981 by the New Orleans Saints.

We all know Jadeveon has all-world talent. He is among the best defensive prospects to ever enter the draft. If there is one red flag it is his commitment to the game. Last season many people felt like he played not to get hurt in a season that was mired by cryptic press conferences in which South Carolina head coach basically said “we’re going to let Jadeveon do what he wants” in so many words.

Going into the 2014 NFL drat, scouts are still shying away from Clowney due to these concerns. Here is what scout said:

I would not put my job on the line for that guy,” the scout told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “Who has a profile like that that’s been successful in the NFL? Lazy. Not playing hard … I think his physical talent is being overblown. At what point in his life has he had to push himself? Now you’re going to give him this money and say, ‘Do something you’ve never done in your life before. Against guys you just can’t run over.’ I would not do it.”

In my opinion Jadeveon is as close to a sure thing as we’ve seen in a while. The only thing that concerns me is if he is a member of the ALL 3AM TEAM… how much champagning and campaigning will he do once he gets those millions?

He came into the draft well prepared and signed with Puma immediately after. All things are going well so far. It’s up to NFL teams to do their homework and see what kind of lifestyle he lives off the field because on the field, there is no reason to not pick Jadeveon Clowney.

Apparently DJ has kept in contact with his college teammate Jadeveon Clowney and is “going to try his best” to persuade the team to draft the star defensive end.

When Swearinger spoke with Clowney on Wednesday night, the much-discussed prospect delivered the same message he always gives his friend: help me be No. 1.

“He’s talking about, ‘Man, what’s the word?’ I’m like, ‘I don’t know. I’m going to try my best to do what I can to get you here,’ ” said Swearinger, following a Texans community appearance Thursday at Harvard Elementary.

Texans general manager Rick Smith plans to speak with the second-year safety to ask about Clowney, Swearinger said. If the Texans select the 6-foot-6, 274-pound end — who hopes to break 4.40 in the 40-yard dash at next week’s draft combine in Indianapolis — the sight of 2012 NFL defensive player of the year J.J. Watt paired up with Clowney would be a defensive dream come true for Swearinger.

http://blog.chron.com/ultimatetexans/2014/02/clowney-pushing-hard-to-be-texans-no-1-pick-swearinger-says/

While Clowney is obviously the pick that makes sense, you know scouts will not come to a conclusion until every stone is unturned. Teddy Bridgewater and Johnny Manziel also make sense for the quarterback needy Texans, but Clowney just may be too good to pass up.

Other players to be noted are UCF’s Blake Bortles with a #14 overall ranking, and UNC’s Eric Ebron right behind him at #15.

Check out the list. What do you think. Who’s too high? Who’s too low?

To his credit, Jadeveon Clowney is legitimately bruised and banged up by all means. But that doesn’t mean that he was unable to attempt to play. Many pundits in the media speculated that Clowney decided to end his season early in a move to preserve his draft stock. That led to a bizzare press conference by coach Spurrier in which Old Ball Coach thanked Clowney for selling #7 jerseys. (And these kids don’t need to get paid?)

So with all the controversy swirling, what was Clowney going to do versus Arkansas?

He simply came out and had one of his best games of the year. In the 52-7 rout Clowney was in the backfield often, playing the run well, and even dropping back on passing downs. To put it simply, he played like the #1 defensive player in the Nation is supposed to. Finally.

Will he keep up this enthused effort? We’ll see but for now Jadeveon Clowney has made his presence felt, bruised ribs and all.

What good is the two year rule when players can simply play a couple games, then sit out and wait for the draft?

I’ve always privately said the NFL should have some sort of red-shirt system where they can draft 18 year old high school players and develop them without pitting them in live games against grown men. To me the WWE of all people have mastered the development theory with their developmental division titled NXT. Why can’t the NFL do something similar? We’ve already seen NFL Europe work successfully… it might be time to do something similar stateside.

But that’s thinking generously… because we all know the NFL and NCAA scratch each others backs. There are billions at stake in preserving the current NCAA system. Is Clowney really hurt? Of course he’s banged up but who knows if he can play or not. However from the sound of head coach Steve Spurrier we’ll never see #7 at South Carolina again.

“I will just say he told me he couldn’t play. That his ribs hurt, couldn’t run. Said ‘I can’t play.’ I said, that’s fine, you don’t have to play. We’ll move on. He may not be able to play next week, I don’t know. We’re not going to worry about it, I can assure you that if he wants to play, we’ll welcome him to come play for the team if he wants to.

“If he doesn’t want to play, he doesn’t have to play, simple as that. We were thinking he was going to suit up and play. He did not practice Thursday. Couldn’t run. Said he couldn’t play. Any time a player says he’s hurt, can’t play, who are we to question? He doesn’t play.”

Jadeveon was putting an average year on tape this season so it is probably beneficial to him to not continue. Will this decision hurt his draft stock? Some people believe so. But this kid has been called the best athlete on planet earth all summer so I doubt he even cares at this point.

Someone will pull the trigger on Jadeveon Clowney with a top five pick. Let’s just hope he participates in the entire draft process….

These questions come off the heels of another below amazing performance from Clowney this weekend. Again he seemed winded quickly, blocked out of the running game rather easily, and was handled for the most part one-on-one on passing downs. Yes he got in the backfield and caused a hurry here and there, and even scored a sack on a missed block, but I see nothing near a “Suh-like” level of dominance of the collegiate defensive line. Yet.

For a guy being called the best football player on planet earth, I think I speak for the entire draft community when I say we are waiting for THAT performance to seal the deal of Clowney #1 on our mock draft boards.

There is a lot of football left to play so hopefully Clowney picks it up. I hope I dont see him getting pancaked by a tight end again for the rest of the season (this really happened.) Is Jadeveon Clowney overrated? Of course not. But for now let’s chill with the Heisman, best player of all time hype. There is a lot of football left to be played!

1. Kickoff temperature was well over 90 degrees
2. UNC intentionally ran a high tempo, dink and dunk offense to tire South Carolina
3. It was the FIRST game of the season!
4. Clowney went against James Hurst, a first round talent at offensive tackle.

To sum this up: Clowney will be fine.

Don’t believe me? Just watch!