Atlanta Falcons: Has Adrian Clayborn Failed Yet Again?
By Curtis Hobbs
When Adrian Clayborn signed with the Atlanta Falcons, there was no one more excited that I was. To me, I felt that all this man needed was a change of scenery to resurrect his career. But, unfortunately, this season has been full of disappointment for Clayborn, as he has yet to dive into the open door of opportunity that was flung open in Atlanta.
For the front office, it seems as if they’ve missed, yet again, on a free agent signing, but who could really blame them on Clayborn? He had loads of potential when he was taken by the Buccaneers, but apparently, they knew something that we didn’t in Atlanta when they didn’t re-sign him.
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Now, the void of production that has become Adrian Clayborn is holding down one side of the defensive line, and when he makes plays, he appears to have just gotten lucky by a sleeping offensive lineman. It is a sad day to see someone who has always been loaded with the abilities of Clayborn continuing to fall flat on his face in embarrassing fashions when given an opportunity.
This year, he has been able to assist, though very marginally and not the degree that was hoped when he signed. So far, he’s only totaled 10 tackles and three sacks while failing to provide any sort of pass blocks or fumbles. Though the defensive line is still missing that impact pass rusher, it’s obvious Clayborn was not the answer that was hoped.
At the end of the year, the Falcons will continue to search for answers on the defensive side of the ball, and, if he continues at his tortoise-like pace, Clayborn will more than likely become a cesspool of talent on another team’s roster. And one of the “greatest prospects” of the 2011 draft shows, yet again, why college production doesn’t always translate to the NFL.