Browns Agree To 2-Year Deal With Adrian Clayborn
Per his agent, the Cleveland Browns and defensive end Adrian Clayborn have agreed to a two-year deal, which provides a boost to some badly needed edge depth. Clayborn is yet another former first round pick the Browns are adding to their team this season, bringing their total up to four. Karl Joseph, Kevin Johnson and Jack Conklin are the other three. Clayborn has become a valuable role player. He produced four sacks last year in 15 games last year and one start for the Atlanta Falcons.
Clayborn, who turns 32 this season is primarily a pass rusher, but he also has significant size for a base end, so if he needs to start, the Browns aren't immediately in a hole they were last year. Olivier Vernon's status is still up in the air at this point, but he missed time last year with a knee injury and Clayborn would've been valuable as a replacement.
The Browns still need to address defensive end for life after Vernon and Clayborn, but they are no longer in a position where they must chase after edge players in a relatively weak NFL Draft class. If the situation and value present themselves, they can go ahead and grab someone to develop at the position, getting a fourth edge rusher for now that can hopefully become more in the future.
This potentially gives the Browns the freedom to go ahead and skip edge players in this draft class and go into 2021 with the ability to draft it high or make a move for a more proven option across from Myles Garrett.
Combined with the addition of Andrew Billings at the nose, the Browns now have six extremely competent, professional players in their defensive line between Garrett, Vernon, Clayborn, Sheldon Richardson and Larry Ogunjobi. Ideally, they could use another player at the three-tech behind Richardson, but it's a better situation now than the one they had last year.
UPDATE: Jake Trotter of ESPN is reporting financial terms of the deal.
