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Adrian Clayborn: Proving His Worth in Quinn’s Scheme

By John Buhler

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Adrian Clayborn‘s arrival in Atlanta got me fired up more than most.  I guess that I was in the same boat as Atlanta Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff in people who didn’t like Adrian Clayborn dominating our offensive line when the Falcons played the Buccaneers biennially.

Clayborn initially came to the NFL as a former first-round pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2011 NFL Draft.  The former Iowa Hawkeye has had an explosive first step for a big DE.  It’s been a string of bad luck due to injuries, missing most of two seasons in Tampa that allowed a player like Clayborn to leave the Bucs and join the Atlanta Falcons.

-= Related: Atlanta Falcons’ Pass Rush Beginning To Thrive Under Quinn =-

Adrian Clayborn has had a healthy camp and preseason thus far for the Atlanta Falcons.  He’s showing us how talented of a pass rusher he is playing opposite of rookie OLB Vic Beasley.  They seem to feed off each other and Atlanta has not had that from two pass rushers in who knows how long?

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    • Dan Quinn’s 4-3 Base Defense is a little different from most.  I describe it as ‘shifted’ meaning that while it technically is a 4-3, it plays like a traditional 3-4.  The LEO position occupied by Beasley is a DE/LB hybrid that puts a designated OLB pass rusher type up or near the defensive line as an undersized DE.

    It’s a scheme that worked wonderfully in Seattle, Dan Quinn’s former team.  So many defensive linemen have had standout preseason games for the Atlanta Falcons in this new defensive scheme: Jonathan Babineaux, Tyson Jackson, Stansly Maponga, and Paul Soliai to name a few.  But I feel that Adrian Clayborn has shined the brightest of all the defensive lineman on the Atlanta Falcons this season.

    His size, strength, quickness, and agility make him the perfect pass rusher to play with Vic Beasley in the Base 4-3 package.  Tyson Jackson and Paul Soliai have slimmed down and are preparing to wreak havoc on the inside at DT while Beasley and Clayborn spin and stunt their way into the opposing backfield.

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    While most of the attention will be on Vic Beasley this season because of his collegiate dominance at Clemson University, I see Adrian Clayborn leading the Atlanta Falcons in sacks this fall.  Assuming he can stay healthy, anything less than 8.0 sacks from Clayborn would feel like a letdown to me at this point.

    Thus far Adrian Clayborn has been a great addition to the Atlanta Falcons’ front seven and I can’t wait to see all that he can do for us going forward into the 2015 Regular Season.  Only 16 more days until it’s Monday Night Football.  Rise Up, Atlanta!

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