Patriots Release Adrian Clayborn

The Patriots cut Adrian Clayborn on Friday. The defensive end broke the news himself on Twitter and indicated that he requested his own release.

Thank you Patriots for my time with the organization,” Clayborn wrote “I gained so much respect for how you do things and win championships. It’s done the right way through hard work. Thank you for granting my release. I’m ready for this next chapter.”

The Patriots used Clayborn as a pass-rushing specialist and employed him in 14 regular season games. All in all, he played in 30% of the team’s defensive snaps last year, but he was a healthy scratch in the final two contests of the season. Following a 9.5-sack campaign with the Falcons in 2017, the veteran’s counting stats took a step back in 2018. Clayborn ultimately finished the season with 11 tackles and 2.5 sacks.

By releasing Clayborn, the Pats will save roughly $4MM against the 2019 cap. The move will leave New England with $2MM in dead money.

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