The Patriots were in exploratory mode Friday as they sifted through the remaining talent on the free-agent market.
Most notably, they hosted defensive end Adrian Clayborn and cornerback Delvin Breaux for visits at Gillette Stadium, according to sources. Clayborn was sorting through his options last night, but the Patriots remained involved.
Clayborn, a first-round pick in 2011, had a career-high 9.5 sacks last season, albeit with six in one game. If he signed, he could be slotted in as the starter across from Trey Flowers, but Clayborn is also versatile enough to play inside in sub packages and has a reputation for playing hard and creating pressure in a variety of ways.