Regarding Clowney, I believe the critics pointed mainly at the timing of the trade and the fact that the Texans had to eat $7M of his contract, or something like that.
I don't know about others, but IMO, Clowney was only good for a team ready to challenge for a deep playoff run. As a GM, I would operate on that premise.
Obviously, since I didn't believe the Texans can be a serious contender, I would have off-load him during the off-season.
At any rate, Clowney may not be all that, but he served the Seahawks well enough.
NFL and PFF player stats for Carolina Panthers ED Jadeveon Clowney on Pro Football Focus.
www.pff.com