It’s been an extremely busy free agency period and with the initial frenzy over and teams looking at what’s left the action continues to be fast and furious with teams trying to improve their franchises. While most of the big names are long gone, there is still some valuable players for teams to sign. With an increased cap number, teams can now actually act instead of guessing or pretending. What a crazy time it’s been, as teams are leaving no stone unturned and no player not discussed among the team’s front office and coaches. Teams have been shelling out money hand over fist and the players are the benefactors. So let’s jump right into the beginning off the offseason frenzy!
One of the bigger names left on the market, Adrian Clayborn, just signed with the Cleveland Browns, a few days ago. The Browns signed the former Atlanta Falcon to a two year, $5.75 million deal. Not an expensive signing, but a decent deal for Clayborn, and a team-friendly signing for the Browns. The deal will take the veteran defensive end through his age 33 season. Clayborn leaves Atlanta for the second time, where he has played his best ball. The first time he left, he went to New England for one season, then returned for a quick second stint with Falcons. This time he will head to Browns in the AFC North, where he will get to play with one of the NFL’s top pass rushers in Myles Garrett.
Cleveland will get a solid veteran to upgrade their defensive line group. He will slide in as a backup / rotational player behind Myles Garrett and Olivier Vernon. Clayborn has the size and versatility to play both outside as a defensive end or occasionally kick inside as an undersized defensive tackle. While he’s not an elite pass rusher like Garrett, he does have the tools to be effective and produce good numbers in the right situation. The Browns will place a talented group of players around him and give him every opportunity to excel. At the very least Clayborn upgrades the depth and lessens the talent gap between the starters and backups, which has been an issue in the past.
Clayborn is a former first round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he spent the first four seasons of his career, from 2011-2014. During his time there he played in thirty-six games and started all of them, but had injuries that cost him effectively two entire seasons. In 2012 he had a torn ACL, and in 2014 it was a torn pectoral muscle. When on the field, he was an effective player, as he recorded 109 career tackles, 74 solos, 27 tackles for a loss, 13 sacks, 30 QB hits, and five forced fumbles. In the two full seasons he got with Tampa, he produced good numbers, but injuries forced the Bucs to move on and find a more dependable option.
After playing out his rookie contract, Clayborn would hit the free-agent market and would sign with the Atlanta Falcons. He would play his first stint with Falcons from 2015-2017, and his second stint on a one year deal in 2019. During those four combined years, he had some of his best seasons as a pass rusher. In 2017, he recorded a career-best 9.5 sacks and 17 QB hits. Those numbers are a bit inflated due to his Week 9 domination of the Dallas Cowboys, where he set the Falcon franchise record for sacks in a game with six. Normally, one could throw out these types of abnormalities, but I think this one must be recognized, considering he got it done versus one of the NFL’s best offensive lines. An impressive feat to say the least and a flash of the impact he can have. In total, he played 60 games, while only starting 15. However, he tallied 76 tackles, 62 solos, 22 tackles for a loss, 21 sacks, 54 QB hits, four forced fumbles, four recoveries, and two touchdowns. He was a much more efficient player in a lesser role than he was in Tampa.Â
Clayborn had a one-year stayover in New England during the 2018 season and outside of his injury-plagued seasons, this was his worst statistically year in the NFL. He would play in fourteen games and only receive one start, while only registering eleven tackles, nine solos, three for a loss, two and a half sacks, and one forced fumble. He flashed a couple of solid moments for the Patriots, but he was unable to garner any type of a significant role.Â
If the Browns can get any semblance of the 2017 version of Clayborn, then they will have to be ecstatic. However, if they get the New England version, they will not get the return they hope, even on a super cheap deal. I think Clayborn will actually be somewhere in the middle of these two. If that’s the case, then the Browns get a decent return value on Clayborn. Don’t go expecting him to set the league on fire again, but he won’t flop either. He’ll be a solid backup that can start in a pinch if needed and provide an average pass rush when he’s dialed in and clicking.
For fantasy owners, Clayborn shouldn’t be considered anything more than a depth piece in deep roster dynasty leagues, where sacks are scored heavily. Even still I wouldn’t trust him for any long stretch. Maybe at best he gets on some sort of a mild hot streak, where you can trade him to a desperate owner needing a defensive end. However, there are worse options at the position. Package him as a throw-in trades where you you may be able to wrangle a late-round pick or deep taxi sleeper, from another.
Thanks for reading my article and if you enjoyed it, you can read more of my articles at dynastyfootballfactory.com. You can also follow me on social media, on Twitter at Hollywood@DFF_DWin, on Facebook on my IDPNation page, on Reddit in the fantasy football IDP sub I’m user KingTitan1 and you can tune in each week and listen to the podcasts, IDP Nation that I co-host, on a number of different platforms. Feel free to hit me up with any questions that you have, as I’m always glad to help fellow IDPers. #IDPNation #IDP #IDPDevy
