Patriots release defensive end Adrian Clayborn

Signed to a two-year, $10 million contract a year ago, Adrian Clayborn was a disappointment in his one season with the team.

The move comes as no surprise.

On Friday morning, defensive end Adrian Clayborn tweeted that he had been released by the Patriots, a salary cap-driven move that was fully expected this offseason.

Signed as an unrestricted free agent to a two-year, $10 million contract last March 17, Clayborn, who registered a career-high 9-1/2 sacks with the Atlanta Falcons in 2017 – a franchise single-game record six coming against the Dallas Cowboys – simply didn’t give the Patriots a whole lot of bang for their bucks, failing to give them the presence on the edge they were hoping for when they signed him.

His release will save the Patriots more than $3 million in cap space going forward.

Defensive linemen have been coming and going in Foxboro this offseason, with end Michael Bennett being acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles; tackle Mike Pennel being signed as an unrestricted free agent from the New York Jets; end Trey Flowers leaving as an unrestricted free agent to sign with the Detroit Lions; and tackle Malcom Brown moving on to the New Orleans Saints.

Taking to Twitter, Clayborn wrote: “Thank you @Patriots for my time with the organization. I gained so much respect for how you do things and win championships. It’s done the right way through hard work. Thank you for granting my release. I’m ready for this next chapter.”

The 30-year-old Clayborn totaled only 11 tackles and 2-1/2 sacks while forcing one fumble in 14 regular-season games with the Patriots, his use declining to the point that he was a healthy scratch for their last two games in December.

Active for the team’s three postseason games in their run to a Super Bowl championship, the 6-foot-3, 280-pounder had two tackles and a sack in the Patriots’ 41-28 divisional-round victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. He failed to register any stats in their 37-31 AFC Championship Game overtime win at Kansas City and their 13-3 win over the Rams in Super Bowl LIII.

Clayborn broke into the NFL with 7-1/2 sacks with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a first-round pick (20th overall) out of Iowa in the 2011 draft. He signed with the Falcons as an unrestricted free agent in 2015.

Appearing in 95 regular-season games over his career, he has been credited with 178 tackles, 32-1/2 sacks, eight forced fumbles and four recoveries, returning one 5 yards for a touchdown against the then-San Diego Chargers in 2016. He has four tackles and one sack in six postseason games.

Clayborn’s release leaves the Patriots with (in alphabetical order) Bennett, Keionta Davis, Trent Harris, Ufomba Kamalu, Derek Rivers and Deatrich Wise Jr. on their depth chart at the defensive end position. They recently re-signed John Simon, which fills an outside linebacker-defensive end type of role.