NFL Rumors: Top five trade candidates going into July
3. Adrian Clayborn, DE, Falcons
I have no real basis for thinking Adrian Clayborn will be traded, but there’s reason to think he could be an attractive depth pickup for some team.
First of all, Clayborn is a good player. He’s not necessarily great, but he’s pretty good.
Second of all, he’s affordable. The Falcons signed him to a two-year, $8.5 million deal, and even though it was back-loaded, I think some team would be willing to absorb the roughly $5.4 million cap hit to obtain his services.
Playing in 13 games last season, Clayborn racked up five sacks, his most since 2013. He has the size to be a base end in a 4-3 scheme and help keep a team’s run defense up while also providing some value in the pass rush department.
The Falcons made some significant moves to acquire depth this offseason on the defensive line, and Clayborn could either be the odd man out as a roster cut, or he could get traded.