The Cleveland Browns made a surprising move today after a week of intense rumors surrounding the addition of Jadeveon Clowney or Everson Griffen. Cleveland did add a defensive end, but it was Adrian Clayborn. The move is not surprising as the front office is clearly trying to find solid depth in the front seven.
Name: Adrian Clayborn
Height: 6-3
Weight: 281 pounds
Age: 31 years old
Previous Team: Atlanta Falcons
Clayborn was drafted in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of Iowa and was with the Buccaneers from 2011-2014. Clayborn started every game as a rookie, but was placed on injured reserve for the last 13 games of the 2012 season. Clayborn again started every game in 2013, but was not exactly living up to his first-round billing, which resulted in the Buccaneers declining the fifth-year team option. Clayborn’s last season as a Buccaneer in 2014 saw him again miss double-digit games due to injury as he missed 15 games.
Atlanta signed Clayborn before the 2015 season and he played as a rotational piece from 2015-2017. Clayborn played much better with the Falcons playing a pivotal role in their Super Bowl season and some consider him being missing from that game due to injury as a key point in the loss. Everyone remembers the huge game Clayborn had against the Dallas Cowboys in 2017, where he recorded an unbelievable Falcons single-game record of six sacks. That effort provided Clayborn with the NFC Defensive Player of the Week Award.
Clayborn moved onto the New England Patriots in 2018 and again was used as a rotational piece and despite having a role on that Super Bowl defense, New England released Clayborn after the season. Clayborn returned to Atlanta for 2019 and again played a rotational role.
Clayborn is not the same player he was in 2017, when he tallied 9.5 sacks. This is clear by his less-than-spectacular season in which he only recorded four sacks, but he can provide solid depth — and that is really all Cleveland is looking for. Clayborn may not be an All-Pro, but he has an extremely high floor and is easily one of the best reserve ends in the NFL.
The biggest reason for Clayborn becoming a bit of a journeyman to end his career is the fact that he never had an elite first step and at 31 years old that first step has gotten even slower, which has made his pass rushing ability slightly underwhelming. With that said, Browns fans should be excited as Clayborn can be an above-average contributor.
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