Barkevious Mingo Bulked Up, Worked On Versatility In Make-Or-Break Offseason
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Whenever Bill Belichick acquires a former first-round talent for pennies on the dollar, it's hard not to raise an eyebrow. He hasn't always hit on these kinds of acquisitions, but there's always a chance he can get something out of the players - certainly more than their former teams got.
Belichick's latest crack at a reclamation project, former Cleveland Browns linebacker Barkevious Mingo, added about 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason and worked in a variety of roles in the Browns defense in what was going to be a make-or-break season for him in Cleveland.
Now that Mingo is in New England, after Cleveland declined to pick up his fifth-year option and he's set to become an unrestricted free agent after 2016 ... it could be his make-or-break season in the entire league.
Tom Reed of Cleveland.com first reported in April that Mingo had bulked up from around 230 pounds to about 251 after spending five weeks in Dallas with ex-bodybuilder Vickie Gates. The NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said he could be as heavy as 260.
He trained twice a day, but his diet was the outrageous part: nearly 6,000 calories a day, ranging from five small meals per day to three "mega-meals," which would include pretty much everything you'd find on a Denny's menu.
The breakfast menu featured grits, biscuits, eggs, sausage and the occasional pancake. Lunches and dinners consisted of combinations of baked potatoes, rice, chicken, beef, lasagna and a vegetable.
A noticeably more muscular Mingo showed up to Browns training camp with the idea of becoming stronger as a pass rusher. Mingo has struggled to this point in his career shedding blockers and getting to the quarterback - and if he does get there, missing tackles - which was supposed to be a strength of his as one of the best athletes to come out of the 2013 NFL Draft when he went sixth overall to Cleveland.
Instead of zeroing in on a pass-rushing role, the Browns defensive coaching staff used Mingo and others in a variety of roles in an effort to create a tougher defensive scheme for quarterbacks to read and perhaps figure out the best ways to use Mingo's athleticism. One coach, however, appeared to take a dig at Mingo's drive: "How much does he play [this season]? That will be his choice." Belichick will probably say the same thing, just not publicly.
Considering the Patriots' recent injury concerns at the defensive end/outside linebacker position, it's likely that edge rushing will be Mingo's primary role in the defense. But he also lined up inside and dropped back in coverage in the Browns' recent preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons, and he's also been a contributor on special teams. There's no doubt that Belichick loves the kind of versatility Mingo could bring if he can line up at a variety of spots on the field and play at a higher level than he's shown to this point.
Belichick has had a good recent record with these kinds of deals. Former castoffs like Akiem Hicks and Akeem Ayers have stepped in and contributed almost immediately as Belichick was able to find roles for them that worked. But on balance, for every Akiem Hicks there's an Albert Haynesworth and for every Akeem Ayers there's a Jon Bostic that simply didn't work out. Still, the fact that it took a fifth-round pick and not a sixth or seventh to acquire Mingo shows that there was something of a market for him and there were other teams interested in his services.
Mingo may turn out to contribute nothing whatsoever, but it's indisputable that he's a low-risk, high-reward kind of acquisition - Belichick's favorite kind of move. If Mingo doesn't work out, it won't set the franchise back much, if at all. But if Mingo's added muscle and improved versatility can find him carving out a valuable role for himself in the Patriots defense or special teams unit, then it could be another "checkmate" kind of move for Chessmaster Bill.
Which way will Mingo go? Well ... that will be his choice.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
