An interesting name is about to enter the free agent linebacker market. Dannell Ellerbe has been cleared for football by Dr. Robert Anderson and he’ll be released from IR soon now that his foot has healed up, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
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The Saints were forced to shut Ellerbe down in late July after his latest ailment. The linebacker has struggled to stay healthy over the last three seasons, appearing in just 16 regular season games over that span. However, he has been productive when on the field. In 2016, Ellerbe racked up 44 total tackles and 4.0 sacks for the Saints across nine games. Before the foot problem, Ellerbe was expected to compete for the Saints’ starting weakside linebacker job.
For what it’s worth, the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus have never been all that high on Ellerbe. Last year, he graded out as the No. 60 ranked linebacker in the NFL out of 86 qualified players. He had respectable showings for his coverage and pass rush, but his run defense score was among the worst of any qualified LB.
Is he more of an edge rusher or a coverage guy? Pats could pick him up if he plays the edge. They could use some ILB depth as well I guess, so he might be a good add either way.