The Browns' perseverance this offseason in signing Jadeveon Clowney paid off Wednesday when the three-time Pro Bowler inked a fresh contract with Cleveland. Clowney — who, when healthy, is one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL — adds another level of ferocity to a defensive line that already looked scary with All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett on the other side.
Clowney was the sixth defensive free-agent signing made by the Browns this offseason. His addition solidifies the defensive makeover Executive Vice President of Football Operations and GM Andrew Berry and the front office aggressively pursued, but it also solidifies something else the Browns have sought to improve for several years.
Culture.
Clowney, as well as every other new free-agent acquisition signed by the Browns, have pointed to it as one of their biggest reasons why they chose Cleveland.
"The coaching staff was pretty laid back, and I felt like they knew what they were doing and know where they were going and where the organization is headed," Clowney said in his introductory press conference. "They knew how to get where they were trying to go. I want to be a part of something like that. That is how I ended up here."
Check out photos of Jadeveon Clowney
Jadeveon Clowney signs his contract on April 14, 2021 at the Berea Facility
Houston Texans outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney (90) sacks Denver Broncos quarterback Case Keenum during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Houston Texans defensive end Jadeveon Clowney talks to the media after a victory over the Oakland Raiders in an AFC Wild Card NFL football game Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
Houston Texans linebacker Jadeveon Clowney (90) rushes during a regular season Week 8 NFL football game between the Miami Dolphins and the Houston Texans on Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018, in Houston. The Texans beat the Dolphins 42-23. (AP Photo/Matt Patterson)
Houston Texans defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (90) is introduced prior to an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
Houston Texans outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney talks with the media following an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
FILE - In this Nov. 2, 2013, file photo, South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney looks to the sidelines between plays in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Mississippi State in Columbia, S.C. Clowney finished last season with 11 1/2 tackles for loss and three sacks after getting 23 1/2 and 13 in 2012. He is a top prospect in the upcoming NFL draft. (AP Photo/Rainier Ehrhardt, File)
South Carolina football player Jadeveon Clowney arrives at the ESPY Awards on Wednesday, July 17, 2013, at Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Jadeveon Clowney signs his contract on April 14, 2021 at the Berea Facility
South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (7) celebrates with fans after defeating Clemson 31-17 in an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Richard Shiro)
South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney smiles as he sits on the bench during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Kentucky, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Rainier Ehrhardt)
Houston Texans outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney (90) lines up against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Houston Texans defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (90) rushes against Jacksonville Jaguars center Brandon Linder (65) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Jadeveon Clowney, the Houston Texans No. 1 overall draft pick, holds up his new jersey and jokes about where to look during an NFL football press conference Friday, May 9, 2014, in Houston. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)
Jadeveon Clowney on April 14, 2021 at the Berea Facility
FILE - In this July 16, 2013 file photo, South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney talks with reporters during the Southeastern Conference football media days in Hoover, Ala. For the next four months, you likely won't be able to escape notice of All-American defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. (AP Photo/Dave Martin, File)
South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, center, talks during South Carolina's pro day in Columbia, S.C., Wednesday, April 2, 2014. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)
South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (7) walks off the field after an NCAA college football game against Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013. South Carolina won 52-7. (AP Photo/David Quinn)
Jadeveon Clowney signs his contract on April 14, 2021 at the Berea Facility
South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (7) rushes in the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against Tennessee on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013 in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)
NFL player Jadeveon Clowney accepts the award for best play at the ESPY Awards on Wednesday, July 17, 2013, at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP)
Jadeveon Clowney signs his contract on April 14, 2021 at the Berea Facility
Houston Texans' Jadeveon Clowney (90) runs on to the field before an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
Houston Texans' Jadeveon Clowney warms up before an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015. (AP Photo/Bob Leverone)
Houston Texans' Jadeveon Clowney runs on the field before an NFL preseason football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2014, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Jadeveon Clowney signs his contract on April 14, 2021 at the Berea Facility
Houston Texans' Jadeveon Clowney (90) celebrates after he sacked Atlanta Falcons' Matt Ryan during the first quarter of an NFL preseason football game Saturday, Aug. 16, 2014, in Houston. (AP Photo/Patric Schneider)
Jadeveon Clowney, from South Carolina, walks on stage for a group photo with fellow draft prospects before the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, May 8, 2014, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)
Jadeveon Clowney, center, from South Carolina, walks off stage after standing for a group photo with fellow draft prospects before the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, May 8, 2014, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)
Clowney isn't alone. Similar sentiments were voiced by S John Johnson III, CB Troy Hill, LB Anthony Walker, DE Takkarist McKinley and DT Malik Jackson, the five other free agents new to the Browns.
When they toured the team headquarters, they could tell that Berry, head coach Kevin Stefanski and his group of assistant coaches — nearly all of whom returned to the team after last season — shared the same goals and plans about how to sustain a winning football team.
"I felt like it was an opportunity of a lifetime, coming to a situation where things are moving in the right direction," Johnson said in his first press conference. "That is rare in this business. It is really a business that it is rare that people care about you, people actually appreciate you and people want to do things the right way.
"This city as a whole, let alone the organization, it drips that."
The Browns have quickly become one of the most desirable teams to play for in the NFL. That's a result of how far Berry and Stefanski took the organization in their first year in 2020, when the Browns finished 11-5, clinched the playoffs for the first time in 18 years and were one possession away from advancing to the AFC Championship Game.
But "culture" is created beyond a team record. It requires personnel who take time to learn about their players outside of football. Stefanski, the 2020 NFL Coach of the Year, is quite good at that.
"He's an outstanding leader who's the same guy every day," said pass game coordinator/wide receivers coach Chad O'Shea. "He's very consistent that way. He's somebody that (makes me) want to get up every day, come to work and do the best job I can within my role because it's such a good working environment to be in with him."
Perhaps the greatest sign of Stefanski's bond with his players occurred Jan. 10. That was when the Browns defeated the Steelers in their Wild Card playoff game without Stefanski, who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week.
Cleveland finished the first quarter with a 28-0 lead and showed they could rally without their coach, for their coach. The 48-37 winning result stunned the league and proved that the Browns' talent — and culture — were among the best any NFL team could offer.
"(They're a) Super Bowl-contender team, and that is what I was looking for," Jackson said. "I didn't want to go anywhere that was trying to rebuild. I wanted to go somewhere with a consistent team."
Those performances are the best way of displaying a team-first culture within a franchise, and they don't go unnoticed by players looking for new teams in the spring.
Some guys wasted little time to sign their deals. Johnson, McKinley and Walker all signed in the first three days of free agency. Hill followed them the next week, then Jackson.
One of the Browns' top free agent targets, however, was still on the market: Clowney. As an eight-year veteran, he could afford to be patient and evaluate teams interested in him. His biggest priority was joining a team with a realistic chance of going deep in the playoffs.
As he waited to make a decision, a few Browns players reached out to him, looking to sway him to the franchise. He heard some of the statements their new free agents were making, too, about how they felt they were joining a team built to dominate.
"I caught some of the words (Jackson) said and some of the words the safety (S John Johnson III) said about, 'He has not played with anybody in his career' and 'come and join a good defense,'" Clowney said. "That kind of caught my attention."
But he also wanted to join a team with personnel aligned in their plans on how to get there. A team that looks good on paper isn't a lock to make the playoffs. The culture needed to be just right, too.
So he made two visits. After the first visit, Clowney knew where he'd sign next.
The roster was full of talent. The culture was built to win.
The Browns had everything he needed, and he couldn't pass up a chance to join.
"I already had my mind kind of made up, regardless of what anybody said," he said. "I don't think Cleveland is like the way people think they used to be. They're hungry, I can tell you that."
