You guys act like if he takes a year off, he's automatically the #1 pick next year. That's a huge assumption, and one that is probably incorrect. Teams will seriously question his desire, work ethic, and heart. NFL players will have no respect for him.

I think he is still top 5 and disagree with the rest. Some players may lose respect but I would guess most would understand.

Why just him? All the top prospects should then. He and all the top guys will play and also be aware, that's how it is each year. Life is a box of chocolates.

 

Just him because he is the best college player and best NFL prospect right now. He cannot go up from here. Nobody else is in that position. NFL.com currently has a mock draft up that lists 13 defensive linemen, 7 of them ends in the first round. DL is the hardest position to draft in the league. Clowney is head and shoulders above every one of them today.

 

No one is saying take a year off and do nothing. Continue to get better without the risk of injury in practice or games. Use the time wisely by getting NFL coaching. Market yourself and make money to support yourself until the big payday.

 

Will people criticize? You better believe they will. 25 years ago an NBA player who left school after three years was considered to be selfish and was often thought to be short changing his future. Now one and done is the accepted norm. We have come miles on that front, and Clowney may be just the first to take what is later considered the smart route.

How often do Defensive Ends have really bad injuries? Seems like he would be more at risk if he played another position. Even with the supposed dangers of "cut-blocking" it seems like D-Linemen are relatively safe from injuries that plague Runningbacks, Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers, and O-Linemen.

 

That said, an injury would hurt his stock potentially. Part of the allure of Clowney is his freakish athleticism. However, if he sat out I'd really wonder what type of lockerroom guy he'd be. Prima-Donna?

Surprise: College coach says Clowney should play in college | ProFootballTalk

 

Spurrier said the reaction in the media was understandable, given that it’s the offseason (what are we supposed to talk about, basketball?). But he also disputed the idea that Clowney’s financial security (which he’d enjoy by being a top-five pick, if not higher) was the most important element.

 

All that’s easy for Spurrier to say, because he keeps getting paid even when Marcus Lattimore’s knee gets turned into spaghetti.

 

And while there are good and noble intentions for wanting a young man to stay in school, the financial reality is that Clowney is gambling millions on the proposition that his luck is good enough to avoid injury.

You guys act like if he takes a year off, he's automatically the #1 pick next year. That's a huge assumption, and one that is probably incorrect. Teams will seriously question his desire, work ethic, and heart. NFL players will have no respect for him.

 

He would be the #1 pick in this years draft. The only way someone jumps him is if a QB stands out and someone really needs a QB. There is no way 5 NFL teams could pass on Clowney's ability if he sat out this year. I would guess though Clowney's competitive nature wouldn't allow him to sit out a whole year. But from a pure financial risk vs reward scenario he has much more to lose than gain coming back.

Buy insurance.

Easier said than done JA, this is a really good article that points out a lot of problems with the buy insurance idea.

 

Clowney will try to buy insurance against a serious injury | ProFootballTalk

 

Per Marvez, Clowney would be looking for $5 million in insurance. That’s a lot of money, but there are serious flaws in this approach.

 

First, insurance companies are very good at taking money in. When it comes to paying money out, the pipeline is typically clogged with red tape and exclusions and other stuff that all too often forces policyholders to sue in order to get the insurance companies to do the right thing.

 

Second, Clowney won’t be buying insurance against a Marcus Lattimore-type injury that simply would knock Clowney from the top of round one to the bottom of round seven. These policies pay money only for career-ending injuries. So Clowney gets nothing unless he simply cannot play football.

 

Third, $5 million covers only a small fraction of what he’d lose over the balance of an NFL career. Last year, the first pick in the draft (Andrew Luck) signed a four-year, $22.1 million contract, fully guaranteed. And if Luck becomes what the team thinks he will, Luck will eventually get a contract worth $100 million. In comparison, $5 million for a truly career-ending injury during a meaningless college season constitutes a small bag of pressed peanut sweepings.

 

Third, who’ll pay the premium? Marvez’s article doesn’t mention what it will cost, but it won’t be cheap — given that Clowney plays full-contact football. And unless Clowney’s family has the resources to pay what could be a six-figure premium, the insurance can’t be purchased absent the violation of one or more NCAA regulations.

If he chooses to sit out, he might as well just leave school because no way would he be able to face the other students or his teammates.

If he was my son, I'd advise him to sit out. He'd stay in school if I could afford it. Any student or teammate that criticized him would just have to deal with it. If they really cared about him, they'd understand anyway.

 

I seriously doubt his stock in the draft would drop much, if at all. It's not like he is going to lose his athleticism and skills. Obviously he should continue to condition and train during the year off. Heck, getting a year away from contact would probably be good for his body and help him be in a better position to deal with the physical grind of pro football his rookie year (4 preseason games I think; 16 regular season games I think; and then if you're lucky several playoff games vs 12 college games and 1 bowl game all involving players not all of which are of the size and speed of the typical NFL player).

 

I also doubt that any future NFL teammate would have a problem with it. They fully realize that what fans call a sport, the players call a business.

NO! I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing he's a competitive person. A competitive person never wants to sit out. The money will be there.

^ I'm sure Marcus Lattimore thought the same.

If he was my son, I'd advise him to sit out. He'd stay in school if I could afford it. Any student or teammate that criticized him would just have to deal with it. If they really cared about him, they'd understand anyway.

 

I seriously doubt his stock in the draft would drop much, if at all. It's not like he is going to lose his athleticism and skills. Obviously he should continue to condition and train during the year off. Heck, getting a year away from contact would probably be good for his body and help him be in a better position to deal with the physical grind of pro football his rookie year (4 preseason games I think; 16 regular season games I think; and then if you're lucky several playoff games vs 12 college games and 1 bowl game all involving players not all of which are of the size and speed of the typical NFL player).

 

I also doubt that any future NFL teammate would have a problem with it. They fully realize that what fans call a sport, the players call a business.

 

My thoughts exactly!

As a matter of business, I would have no beef with him deciding to sit out, it is probably the smartest move he could make. It would mean the loss of his scholarship and he would have to train on his own for a year, but I think that would probably outweigh the calculated risk he would be taking by playing. I don't think his stock would drop that much, if any.

 

As a fan, it would suck.

 

If he does decide to sit out, and he wants to remain in school, then he could accept money from anywhere, correct? No eligibility issues to contend with, just take a payout from an agent and stay in school and continue to work out. He could hire a team of trainers if he wants.

In general I'm not in favor of litigation, but in this case, I think he should sue the NFL. If there's ever been someone who could make a valid argument that he could play in the NFL, if allowed, it might be him. I doubt there's a single GM or coach out there that would turn him down if they had the chance to get him this year, just because he's a year younger than the "rules" say. Heck, you guys have already made his argument for him...if he stays and gets injured, he loses money...if he sits out this year, and his draft stock drops, he loses money. He's in a lose-lose situation, and it's all the NFL's fault.

South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney should have chosen not to play at all this season. Barred by an unfair rule from plying his trade at the NFL level until he’s three years removed from high school, Clowney had everything to lose and nothing to gain by playing for free for another year.

 

Clowney possibly has begun to figure that out. With the buzz around him diminishing amid a season of ineffectiveness and injury, Clowney opted to sit on Saturday against Kentucky.

 

While it’s too late for Clowney to go back to July and tell the Gamecocks that he won’t be undermining his draft stock by playing for free in 2013, Clowney’s case should be a warning to the next guy who finds his stock as high as it can be a year before he’s eligible to be drafted.

 

When that happens, take your chips, leave the table, stay in shape, and quit playing for free. Though you’ll make more money for your school and your head coach, you could be hurting your own ability to be compensated later.

 

Clowney passes on one game, Spurrier goes passive aggressive | ProFootballTalk