New England Patriots: Adrian Clayborn standing out in workouts
New England Patriots defensive end, Adrian Clayborn, stood out during offseason workouts.
The New England Patriots were hit hard during free agency this offseason. Multiple starters departed in free agency, leaving New England with some holes to fill on the roster. They filled them adequately. Arguably the most improved area will be the pass rush and defensive end.
Last season the Patriots pass rush was very inconsistent. Injuries crushed them. Trey Flowers was the only consistent pass rusher that New England had last season. Rookie Deatrich Wise Jr. and Eric Lee provided surprising production at times but were not consistent enough. That is partly why veteran Adrian Clayborn was brought in.
Clayborn and the Patriots agreed to a two-year, $10 million dollar contract in free agency. This deal could prove to be quite a steal for the Patriots, who seem to add impact veterans on a yearly basis at a discount. Clayborn could be the next player in line there.
Clayborn had a career season with the Atlanta Falcons in 2017. He recorded a career-high 9.5 sacks, six of which came in one game against the Dallas Cowboys. While that performance skewed his statistics a bit, he had a strong season overall.
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According to Pro Football Focus, Clayborn had the best season of his career grade wise. Clayborn finished with a season grade of 85.5 in 2017, which ranked him 19th among edge defenders. His 87.2 pass rushing grade was 14th. His run defense grade, 56.1 and 86th overall, leaves a lot to be desired, so he will probably be in a rotation along the defensive line.
Thus far, Clayborn has carried over those pass rushing chops to New England. According to Jim McBride of The Boston Globe, Clayborn has been dominating thus far in workouts this offseason.
"The 6-foot-3-inch, 280-pounder, who signed with New England as a free agent in mid March, was a consistent force off the edge, typically getting the jump on any tackles who were trying to keep him at bay."
New England has a cloudy situation at tackle right now, as they have to replace long-time left tackle, Nate Solder. However, this is an encouraging development for Clayborn.
Clayborn was happy with his performance thus far with the Patriots.
"“I’m just out here trying to get the defense down and play fast,’’ Clayborn said after the final practice. “So I think it’s going good.”"
The Patriots desperately need another pass rushing option opposite of Trey Flowers. Clayborn, along with Derek Rivers, should be able to put more pressure on opposing quarterbacks this season.
Next: Patriots 53-Man Roster Prediction: Defensive End
With Clayborn anchoring one end of the defensive end, teams will not be able to double team Flowers any longer. Clayborn is a great fit for New England and should slide right into their rotation with no problem.