Adrian Clayborn The New England Patriots currently have 89 players on their active roster. However Tom Brady Jerseys Stitched , only 53 of them will be able to survive the cutdowns on September 1 and ultimately make the team. Over the course of the offseason, we take a look at the players fighting for those spots to find out who has the best chances of helping the Patriots recapture the Vince Lombardi Trophy.Today, the series continues with one of New England’s free agency signings.Name: Adrian ClaybornPosition: Defensive edgeJersey number: 94Opening day age: 30Experience: 7Size: 6’3, 280 lbs.2017 review: Adrian Clayborn ended the 2016 season on injured reserve due to a torn biceps he suffered during the playoffs. However, he was back on the field in time for the Atlanta Falcons’ preparation for 2017 and ultimately again proved to be a reliable and productive presence along the team’s defensive line – one that basically served as its number one option at defensive edge.In that role, Clayborn appeared in all 18 of Atlanta’s games last year and finished with a playing time percentage of 53.5% (playing 634 of 1,185 possible snaps). The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round draft pick lined up mostly on the defensive right side (over the left tackle) and played multiple techniques at the position – all while being a steady contributor in the passing game as well as a solid run defender.Overall, Clayborn finished the season as the Falcons’ team-leader in multiple defensive statistics: he registered the most sacks (9.5) and quarterback hits (19). His numbers, however, are a bit skewed considering that he registered a franchise record 6.0 sacks in week nine against the Dallas Cowboys – a dominating performance without a doubt, but one that came against an overmatched backup tackle.But despite registering just 3.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hits throughout the rest of the year, Clayborn was still a reliable and productive player for the Falcons that impacted plays beyond the stat sheet: advanced analytics website Pro Football Focus credited its 18th best edge defender of last year with 37 quarterback hurries. 2017 was therefore a productive campaign for a veteran player that struggled with inconsistency in the past.2018 preview: On the fourth day of free agency Youth James White Jerseys , the Patriots signed Clayborn to a two-year, $10.0 million contract. The deal makes the 30-year old a natural roster lock and also should help the Patriots to further solidify their defensive edge spot opposite Trey Flowers – a position that was a revolving door last season and especially struggled when it came to setting the edge in the running game.While he played primarily on the defensive right during the preseason due to Flowers being out with an injury, it would not be a surprise to see Clayborn regularly line up on the other side as well. As such, he should see regular playing time on early downs and versus the run – all while forming a four-man rotation together with Flowers and second-year players Deatrich Wise Jr. and Derek Rivers.As a result, it would not be surprising to see Clayborn’s playing time go down a bit when compared to last season. His impact, however, should still be felt and possibly help the Patriots’ defense to tighten up against outside and stretch runs, and when it comes to playing mobile quarterbacks. Follow along: Patriots undrafted free agents tracker: Signings, rumors, analysis"With the 2019 NFL Draft in the rearview mirror and the dust beginning to settle, one position that the Patriots did not address was the tight end position. With a Rob Gronkowski-sized hole at the top of the depth chart after the future Hall of Famer announced his retirement, New England has a lot of production to replace at the position. Adding man Austin Seferian-Jenkins on a one-year deal for the veteran minimum was a nice signing that should bring good value to the team if he can stay healthy. The former University of Washington product had a strong year in 2017 with the Jets James White Jerseys Stitched , catching 50 balls for 367 yards and three touchdowns, but had a down year this past season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, playing in just five games due to a core muscle injury.The options after Seferian-Jenkins are...not great. New England is leaving itself open to a considerable amount of risk if Seferian-Jenkins, a player who has a considerable injury history, gets hurt again. To not draft a young tight end or sign another pass-catching tight end to add to the depth at the position is puzzling. After Seferian-Jenkins, the tight end depth chart consists of Matt LaCosse (signed to a one-year free agency deal), Jacob Hollister, Stephen Anderson, and Ryan Izzo. Texas tight end Andrew Beck has also been rumored to have signed an UDFA deal with New England so let’s add him to the list too.Getty ImagesLaCosse is a fringe player who had 24 receptions for 250 yards and one touchdown last year with the Denver Broncos in what was considered to be the best season of his young career. Perhaps he continues that momentum this season and develops into more of a threat in the passing game. But that is wishful thinking right now: he should worry about just making the roster right now. Hollister has shown flashes at times, but has struggled mightily to stay healthy thus far, only appearing in eight games last season due to a hamstring injury. He caught just four passes for 52 yards total. Anderson was the tight end that was promoted to the 53-man roster from the practice squad to replace Hollister, and is an unknown at this point. Considered to be a “move” tight end like Hollister http://www.patriotslockerroom.com/authentic-josh-gordon-jersey , Anderson didn’t get activated to the 46-man game day roster until the divisional round matchup in the playoffs against the Los Angeles Chargers. He will certainly have a chance to impress the coaching staff in training camp.Izzo, a rookie last year, was placed on Injured Reserve at the end of training camp, but turned some heads prior to that with his blocking ability. There is some hope that he could replace the blocking of Dwayne Allen, at a much lower price tag. Even if Seferian-Jenkins stays healthy all season long, there is not much there in the way of offensive production with this group overall. And yet, it does not look like reinforcements are coming anytime soon, after the team passed on the chance to take a tight end in a draft that was considered to have a strong tight end class this year.So where do the Patriots go from here? Do they make a move for an available veteran tight end on another team, such as Kyle Rudolph of the Minnesota Vikings? Or do they go into the 2019 season with this current motley crew and hope that a certain somebody decides to come out of retirement mid-season? That’s unclear right now, but the current state of the tight end depth chart for the Patriots suggests there is still one or two more moves to be made here to feel confident about this group heading into the regular season.