Latest On Ndamukong Suh
Free agent DT Ndamukong Suh left New Orleans without a contract and met with the Titans last night, per Jordan Schultz of Yahoo! Sports, who adds that his dinner with Tennessee brass went well past midnight (Twitter links). Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets that the door is not closed on a Suh-Saints marriage, as the visit with New Orleans was always intended to be a feeling-out session rather than an all-out recruiting mission. Indeed, as Schultz notes in a separate tweet, Suh has expressed his desire to take his time and evaluate his numerous options with his family. 
Nonetheless, the fact that the Titans have parted with Karl Klug and Sylvester Williams over the past several days could be a sign that they are optimistic about landing Suh when he comes to Nashville. Of course, if Suh really does plan to take his time and visit other, as-yet-unnamed clubs — which we heard when the Tennessee visit was reported earlier this week — then it could take awhile before we know where Suh will be suiting up in 2018.
Florida Football Insiders, in a purely speculative piece, also names the Patriots as a potential landing spot for the three-time All-Pro. The Pats have a little bit of money to spend, and if they can acquire Suh on a one-year pact — much like they did with Darrelle Revis in 2014 — they may jump on the opportunity. FFI suggests that a one-year, “prove-it” contract might be in Suh’s best interest, and if he goes that route, New England could certainly get involved.
The Seahawks and Cowboys have also expressed interest in Suh, and Schultz tweets that Suh and Seattle head coach Pete Carroll have had two positive telephone conversations this week. The two men share a great deal of mutual respect, and Suh wants to visit the Seahawks.
The 31-year-old Suh may be getting older, but he’s still plenty productive. He graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 4 interior defensive lineman in the NFL in 2017, and he finished the season with 48 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
Patriots Sign OT Matt Tobin
The Patriots added to a busy Friday afternoon by signing offensive tackle Matt Tobin to a one-year deal, ESPN’s Mike Reiss tweets.
Tobin spent 2017 as a backup left and right tackle with Seattle after being acquired from the Eagles in the offseason. He appeared in 15 games in 2017, and has played in 57, including 21 starts, in five NFL seasons.
Tobin adds depth to a Patriots offensive line that lost longtime tackle Nate Solder to the Giants earlier in free agency.
Patriots To Sign Jeremy Hill
Just moments after adding veteran Adrian Clayborn to their defensive front four, the Patriots continued their reshuffling by reaching an agreement with former Bengals running back Jeremy Hill, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets. 
Yates reported on Thursday the team was set to meet with the running back on Friday and the two sides quickly agreed to a deal.
A second-round pick in 2014, Hill burst on the scene with 1,124 yards and nine rushing touchdowns as a rookie. The following season, the LSU product tied for the league lead with 11 rushing scores. After another solid season in 2016, Hill was phased out after the team drafted Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon in the second round. Hill recorded just 116 yards on 37 carries.
Despite the departure of Dion Lewis to the Titans, the Patriots’ depth chart at running back is still chock full. Earlier in the week, the team re-signed Rex Burkhead, and it already has pass catcher James White and Mike Gillislee under contract.
Hill has served in a two-headed rushing attack since entering the league, splitting carries with Giovani Bernard in his first three seasons as well as Mixon in 2017.
[RELATED: Patriots Depth Chart]
Patriots Sign DE Adrian Clayborn
The Patriots made a big splash in free agency on Friday, reaching an agreement with the veteran defensive end Adrian Clayborn, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. The player made the announcement on Friday via Instagram.
It is a two-year deal with a maximum value of $12.5MM, according to Schefter (Twitter link).
New England can use all the pass rush help it can get, as the club ranked 31st in adjusted sack rate a year ago. Clayborn can help with that, as the 29-year-old managed a career-high 9.5 sacks in 2017. However, Clayborn famously posted six of those sacks in one game against overpowered Cowboys left tackle Chaz Green.
Earlier in free agency, Pro Football Rumors listed help along the front seven as the most pressing need for the Patriots entering the 2018 offseason. It’s safe to say they began to fulfill that need on Friday with this signing.
With the move, Clayborn will slide in as a starter at defensive end, joining, among others, Lawrence Guy, Malcom Brown, Deatrich Wise Jr. and Trey Flowers on the Patriots’ front four depth chart.
A first-round selection in 2011, Clayborn spent four seasons in Tampa Bay making 13 sacks. He missed nearly two full campaigns with injuries. He moved to Atlanta and became a solid contributor on the Falcons defensive front, helping them reach Super Bowl LI against his new team.
[RELATED: Patriots Depth Chart]
AFC Notes: Kaepernick, Texans, Titans
When Colin Kaepernick‘s choice to work out in Houston this week raised some eyebrows in the football world. We now know why he was in town. Texans owner Bob McNair was deposed on Friday in Kaepernick’s collusion lawsuit against the NFL and Kaepernick sat in on the deposition, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
Kaepernick, who was ranked as one of my ten best available quarterbacks before the start of free agency, has yet to receive any bites from teams as he continues his legal proceedings against the NFL.
Here’s more from the AFC:
- The Titans are after Ndamukong Suh and that could lead to a shakeup on the defensive line, as veteran NFL reporter Paul Kuharsky notes (on Twitter). The nose tackle is set to carry a $5MM base salary in 2018 and $2.5MM of that sum becomes fully guaranteed on Sunday. Williams would not only be redundant in the event of Suh signing – he’d also be taking of cap space that may need to be allocated for the former Dolphin.
- Free agent offensive tackle Matt Tobin met with the Patriots on Friday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Broncos are working on re-signing free agent offensive lineman Billy Turner, sources tell Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter).
Patriots To Meet With CB Delvin Breaux
The Patriots are set to meet with cornerback Delvin Breaux on Friday, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter). Breaux met with the Broncos earlier this week, but left Denver without a deal. 
The Saints had the option of retaining Breaux as a restricted free agent, but opted against extending him a tender. That probably wasn’t an easy decision for New Orleans given the way he performed as a starter in 2015. Unfortunately, Breaux didn’t deliver in 2016 and his 2017 season was lost to injury.
The Patriots saw cornerback Malcolm Butler leave for the Titans on a five-year contract worth more than $61MM, so they’re clearly in the market for secondary help. They picked up one low-cost cornerback on Thursday when they traded for Jason McCourty, but there’s still room for improvement.
As shown on Roster Resource, the Pats currently project to start Jonathan Jones alongside star Stephon Gilmore with McCourty, Eric Rowe, and Cyrus Jones in support.
Texans To Sign Johnson Bademosi
Former Patriots’ special teams standout Johnson Bademosi has agreed to a two-year, $6.25MM deal with the Texans, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The new deal makes him the highest-paid special teams player in the NFL. 
Bademosi was traded from the Lions to the Patriots last September in a deal that netted Detroit a 2019 sixth-round pick. By allowing Bademosi to walk, the Patriots figure to recoup some draft capital. Bademosi is the Pats’ fifth compensatory free agent to depart, which should improve their draw in 2019.
Bademosi, 28 in July, could also see some time at cornerback for Houston. He made six starts at CB over the last two seasons.
The Texans made two moves of note in the secondary this week by adding Aaron Colvin and re-signing Johnathan Joseph. Meanwhile, safety Marcus Gilchrist left to sign with the Raiders.
RB Jeremy Hill To Visit Patriots
Despite rostering three capable running backs, New England is apparently seeking more reinforcement at the position. Free agent Jeremy Hill is set to visit with the Patriots tomorrow, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
It’s been a relatively quiet offseason for Hill, who was listed ninth in our free agent positional rankings. It doesn’t sound like the former second-rounder will be returning to the Bengals, where he spent the first four seasons of his career. After rushing for 1,124 yards in his rookie season, Hill hasn’t been able to match that production in the past three years.
2017 was arguably the 25-year-old’s worst NFL season, as he finished the campaign with only 116 rushing yards on 37 carries (leading to a career-low 3.1 yards per carry). After having compiled 29 touchdowns through his first three seasons in the league, Hill finished last year with zero. The running back was limited to only seven games (seven starts) after injuring his ankle in November.
The Patriots running back depth chart is already relatively crowded, especially after the team re-signed Rex Burkhead earlier this week. New England is also rostering pass-catcher James White as well as Mike Gillislee (special teamer Brandon Bolden is also on the team). Despite the depth, the Patriots are clearly looking for another back, as they reportedly have interest in former player Danny Woodhead.
Eric Ebron To Meet With Colts, Could Also Visit Patriots
Eric Ebron is starting to rack up the visits. We learned earlier today that the tight end was set to meet with the Panthers, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that Ebron will also meet with the Colts. The Indy meeting could “potentially” be followed by a visit to the Patriots, adds Schefter. The Ravens have also shown interest in the 24-year-old, who was released by the Lions earlier this week.
Ebron wouldn’t be confused with a blocking tight end, but he’s been plenty productive in the passing game. He finished last season with 53 catches for 574 yards and four touchdowns, and he appeared to get rid of his habit of dropping balls. The former first-rounder ultimately rated as an above-average tight end, as Pro Football Focus ranked him 13th among 71 candidates at the position.
Assuming Andrew Luck is healthy, Ebron would provide the quarterback with another talented target. The free agent would presumably displace Jack Doyle from the starting lineup in Indy, although there could be enough targets for the duo.
Meanwhile, he’d have to settle for a backup role behind Rob Gronkowski in New England, although he’d definitely be an upgrade over current backup tight end Dwayne Allen. The organization has had success fielding a pair of tight ends in recent seasons, so Ebron’s production might not necessarily take a dip if he joined the Patriots. Of course, Ebron would also be future insurance in the event that Gronkowski decided to hang up his cleats.
Patriots To Meet With DE Adrian Clayborn
The Patriots will plan to host free agent defensive end Adrian Clayborn, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
New England can use all the pass rush help it can get, as the club ranked 31st in adjusted sack rate a year ago. Clayborn can help with that, as the 29-year-old managed 9.5 sacks in 2017. However, Clayborn famously posted six of those sacks in one game against overpowered Cowboys left tackle Chaz Green.
While the Patriots appear to be Clayborn’s first free agent visit, he is not wanting for overall interest. The Colts, Buccaneers, Browns, and the incumbent Falcons are all eyeing a pact with Clayborn, who — unsurprisingly — is being targeted by clubs that run predominantly 4-3 schemes.
PFR ranked Clayborn as the No. 7 edge defender heading into free agency, but three of the pass rushers listed above him — Julius Peppers, William Hayes, and Trent Murphy — have already landed new contracts.