In an offseason that has been filled with departure after departure, the two-time defending AFC champion New England Patriots have finally added a key cog in free agency.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that New England has signed veteran defensive end Adrian Clayborn.
Patriots reached agreement with former Falcons’ DE Adrian Clayborn, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 16, 2018
Clayborn himself also made the announcement on his official Instagram account.
This is a pretty big get for New England. A former first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in 2011, Clayborn is coming off the most-productive season of his career, recording a personal-best 9.5 sacks for the Atlanta Falcons.
Clayborn joins a Patriots team that had no player record as much as seven sacks last season. He fills a major hole as a situational pass rusher for the team.
This comes on the heels of New England losing Dion Lewis, Nate Solder, Malcolm Butler and Danny Amendola in free agency earlier in the week.