The Browns landed their veteran pass rusher and Jadeveon Clowney got the peace of mind of signing a contract earlier than he did last year.

Sometimes, matches just make sense.

After a swing and a miss on Cardinals-bound pass-rusher J.J. Watt, the Browns are signing Clowney to a one-year contract worth up to $10 million, according to multiple reports. With Clowney on one edge and Myles Garrett on the other, the Browns will have a former No. 1-overall draft pick on both sides of their defensive line.

Clowney, 28, has been on the Browns’ radar for years, but he was traded from the Texans to the Seahawks in 2019, then chose the Titans in free agency last offseason. But Clowney and the Titans didn’t reach an agreement until the first week of the season, and he never found a rhythm after missing virtual OTAs and training camp.

Clowney did not have a sack in eight games before suffering a knee injury. He reportedly passed a physical with the Browns by Wednesday morning, on his second visit to the team’s facility this offseason.

The one-year contract allows Clowney a second chance to reset his free-agency market for next offseason, potentially off a bigger output. That’s the path that allowed defensive tackle Leonard Williams to cash in with the Giants. Like Williams, Clowney is hard to judge from pure sack numbers, as his impact stopping the run and pressuring the quarterback pocket are valuable.

Eight edge rushers signed contracts worth more than $10 million per year during 2021 free agency, led by Shaq Barrett (four years, $68 million with the Buccaneers) and Bud Dupree (five years, $82.5 million with the Titans, to replace Clowney).