Jadeveon Clowney doesn't need 'extra motivation' for return to Cleveland with Ravens

BEREA — Jadeveon Clowney is coming back to Cleveland on Sunday. The former Browns defensive end turned Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker is publicly saying all the right things in advance of his return.

“I don’t think I really necessarily need any extra motivation," Clowney told reporters in Baltimore on Wednesday. "It’s a division game. I’ve got a lot of respect for a lot of the guys over there. A lot of friends over there – I still consider as friends – good teammates I played with for two years. I hope the best, but not against us. They’re in our division. You definitely want to win these games. You need these games; they help down the road. So, it’s just good to get it going this early in the season.”

Clowney spent the previous two seasons with the Browns before his time ended unceremoniously. He was essentially suspended for last season's finale when the team sent him home from the facility the Friday before the game, then left him home for the trip to Pittsburgh.

That came from an interview Clowney did that week with Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot in which he made inflammatory remarks about several Browns-related subjects. Those remarks didn't just talk about his future with the team — as he was an unrestricted free agent after the season — but also took shots at the Browns coaching staff, particularly for what he perceived as favoritism in schemes designed for his teammate, All-Pro end Myles Garrett.

“If I had any bad blood, I don’t think I would have signed to go back there for two years in a row," Clowney told Baltimore reporters. "For everybody that thinks there was some bad blood, I would never sign and go back. … Like I said, I'm here now. I don’t play for them. There’s no reason to be talking about what happened there last year; that’s behind me. Let’s talk about this year. I’m just focused on winning games here and being the best Jadeveon Clowney I can be for the Baltimore Ravens.”

The Browns are taking a similar tact as Clowney is to his return. They're doing the same with regards to his departure.

"I mean, he's no longer a part of the team, so I don't really see how it can have a lingering effect," receiver Amari Cooper said. "Him leaving on bad terms, that's subjective, that's something you said, not me, so I don't see it. No."

In 12 games last season, Clowney finished with 28 tackles, 14 of them solo, plus two sacks, three quarterback hits and four tackles for loss. He also had a forced fumble, which he also recovered, on a strip-sack.

Clowney signed two one-year deals with the Browns. He finished with 65 tackles, 11 sacks, 23 quarterback hits, 15 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in 26 career games in Cleveland.

"JD, he's always been a guy that's very active," said Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, a friend of Clowney's dating back to their time together with the Houston Texans. "He makes sure that he's applying pressure. If he don't get there for the sack, he's going to be there right in front of the quarterback's eyes.

"I think what I saw yesterday when I was looking up the stats and kind of checking out their defense, he leads that team in QB pressures or something like that. I mean I think he's a great player. Of course he's a good friend of mine and he's going to be fired up."

Clowney signed with the Ravens on Aug. 18. He has played in all three games for Baltimore, starting two.

While the Ravens' defense battling a laundry list of injuries, Clowney has been one of the early-season bright spots. He's tied for second on the team with 1.5 sacks, while he leads them with 5 quarterback hits.

"I think JD, the entire front very, very disruptive," Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. "They do a really nice job, Mary Kay, in the run game, on the edges, being penetrators inside, pass game, they can give you a variety of different looks, so they have a bunch of different guys that can hurt you. But he's doing a nice job."

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Jadeveon Clowney needs no extra motivation to face Browns with Ravens