Patriots Acquire LB Barkevious Mingo From Browns
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Patriots have swung a trade with the Cleveland Browns for linebacker Barkevious Mingo.
The Patriots announced the deal Thursday afternoon after it was first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter. In return for Mingo, New England sent an undisclosed draft pick to Cleveland.
Mingo, the sixth overall pick in the 2013 draft out of LSU, has had an up-and-down career in Cleveland. He played in 15 games in each of his first two seasons, recording 42 tackles in each of them, but recorded just 24 tackles in 2015 despite seeing action in all 16 regular season games. He started just two games in 2015, spending most of his time on special teams.
After getting to the quarterback seven times over his first two seasons, he did not record a sack in 2015, when he spent most of his time in coverage. It should be noted that three of those seven career sacks came in the first three games of his NFL career.
Mingo reportedly added 25 pounds of muscle over the offseason, but the Browns did not pick up his fifth-year option, so he will become a free agent after this season. But he could add some insurance to the New England pass-rush, which is dealing with injuries to Rob Ninkovich and Jabaal Sheard.
