Browns' Barkevious Mingo traded to Patriots

[Mack Herron]

The big losers from this trade would be Grissom and Johnson. Grissom is likely safe as a 2015 3rd round pick that contributes on special teams, but Johnson looks like he will be a numbers casualty this season.

Why would the Patriots trade for pass rusher Barkevious Mingo?

Both could be gone. Personally, I have never been impressed with Grissom. Not strong enough inside, not quick enough outside. Never had a position at Oklahoma and still doesn't.

 

[Deus Irae]

I do agree with you on this one, but just to add some nuance, the position change was fairly significant. They moved Mingo from an edge player his rookie year, where he had 5 sacks while dealing with injuries, to a LB position where he almost exclusively dropped into coverage. It doesn't seem like he actually had many opportunities to show off his pass rush skills, regardless of how mediocre they've been.

He's been playing at 225, and is now up closer to 250. I could see him playing a role similar to Akeem Ayers or Mark Anderson. I do not think he'll set the world on fire, but he is a very good athlete who is going from a dysfunctional club to a well-run (but certainly not infallible) football machine. I'm tentatively hopeful that he may produce, but I'm not relying on him by any stretch of the imagination. We'll see how it shakes out.

Along these lines, let me just add this:

Mingo proved to be what the knock against him was when he came out of LSU: Too thin to play in the more demanding NFL. Weight was always an issue for Mingo. This season he supposedly put on 20 pounds, but it never showed on the field, in practice or games.

He was not strong enough to play every down, not talented enough to rush the passer, not skilled enough to play in coverage. When Horton tried him inside in camp, it was a sign the Browns were flailing. He leaves Cleveland with seven sacks, three of them in his first three games, four in his last 43. Somehow the Browns got a fifth-round pick for a player with those numbers.

Barkevious Mingo represents another failed Browns first-round pick

There's a full article at the link.

 

[RobertWeathers]

5.5/13 is well in line with 7/16
8/13 would have led to a career high in 16, but doesn't project to any monster improvement. It would still leave him at 10/16 (well, 9.8, but we'd round up).

Kruger, meanwhile, has racked up more sacks in Cleveland than he had in his last 3 years in Baltimore, even if you adjust 2010 and 2012 up for 16 games.

Again, I'm not saying that it's not possible for Mingo to succeed in New England after struggling in Cleveland. I'm just saying that being in Cleveland (or any specific team) should not be viewed as some sort of "Get out of sucking, free" card.

I hear you. Thats what troubles me about that franchise. Sheard does well rushing the passer then they put him in coverage more than going after the QB in 2013 and 2014. Kruger does well rushing the passer in 2014 then they put him more as a rover last year. In 2013 Mingo tallies 4 sacks in his first 7 games then basically falls into oblivion the rest of his time there.

With all that said I think it's more likely that Mingo will suck here as he has done basically nothing in the last two years in the NFL. However, because of the annual level of dysfunction in CLE and a few examples of misuse of the roster and talent, I think with the right coaching and use here I think he can be a pretty decent reserve LB who can put a little pressure on the passer.

We'll see.

 

[The Gr8est]

FO turnover. Coaching turnover. Different systems. Different schemes. Ownership can't get its head out of its ass.

As of right now Mingo is a major bust but that franchise has not done the kid any favors.

I think he does have decent pass rush skills. What I also think is that they totally have been screwing with his development.

"Mingo only pawn in game of life."

 

[Fencer]

He does feel like an extra roster spot that wouldn't have been filled otherwise. So it's a bit surprising from that standpoint. Oh well. Having too many talented players is a better problem to have than having too few.

 

[PScottman]

Any gouge as to his special teams capacity? Some are throwing Ayers name around for comparison and Ayers in addition to small burst of pass rushing did a lot of special teams. Would like to see more value than just pass rushing specialist for a 5th unless it's "every third down and 7+" kind of specialist.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Any gouge as to his special teams capacity? Some are throwing Ayers name around for comparison and Ayers in addition to small burst of pass rushing did a lot of special teams. Would like to see more value than just pass rushing specialist for a 5th unless it's "every third down and 7+" kind of specialist.

Just reading that he did play ST last year in CLE.

No idea if he was any good or not.

 

[patfanken]

Interesting trade. The haters will complain that they paid too much when they could have had him for nothing tomorrow. They will harp on the fact they gave away a starting Superbowl C for a 7th, and paid a 5th for a guy who couldn't even make the lowly Browns. The cronies will over hype the deal because he once was a high pick. As usual the truth is somewhere in the middle.

Clearly his is a tantalizing athlete whose athletic measureables can't be questioned. Yet his previous 3 seasons have been remarkably unproductive. Is he just a not a good football player? Has he just been misused? Has he not gotten good coaching? Does he have a bad motor? These are all questions that we are not going to have answered for a few months. If he plays vs Carolina, all I'm looking for from him is to show me some "suddenness" For him to give me some indication of the so called "freakish" athletic ability that he came into the league with.

Bottom line - For a low low price of a bottom of the 5th round pick, the Pats have picked up some rare, yet unrealized athletic potential. He will be coming here like so many before him with the hopes that he can rebuild his career and cash in either here or elsewhere, so we know his motivation will be very high.

In the end, if he's good enough to make the team he'll be here. I'd be interested to find out if the pick has some conditions on it. I would be a bit surprised if it didn't. I like the trade, even if only because his addition made the last 2 weeks of preseason more interesting.

As for the speculation of what Mingo's acquisition means to other players, I'll leave that to others. It's a waste of time, which I doubt has any meaning. Draft status has no meaning here. Once you somehow wind up here, if you can help the team, you get to stay....and that's it. That is why, against all odds it is likely that 3 of the Pats CB's this season will be UDFA's. That might not be so surprising on a team like the Titans or Browns, but is on a consistent contender like the Pats, its shocking. If there is one HC in the league who understands how little draft status means once you get to July, it's Bill Bellichick.

BTW- I read somewhere that that 2013 draft was so bad that the only top 10 pick worth keeping that year was DT Ziggy Anseh

 

[bbobbo]

The big losers from this trade would be Grissom and Johnson. Grissom is likely safe as a 2015 3rd round pick that contributes on special teams, but Johnson looks like he will be a numbers casualty this season.

Why would the Patriots trade for pass rusher Barkevious Mingo?

Both could be gone. Personally, I have never been impressed with Grissom. Not strong enough inside, not quick enough outside. Never had a position at Oklahoma and still doesn't.

rufus johnson. at first, i thought the article was referring to anthony johnson.

 

[TheFlyingWedge]

Nothing backs this up. Nink was playing LB early in camp because he would play there in an emergency. BB has done that often.

Yeah sure BB wants position flexibility out of Ninko, as he does with all of his players. But at least we know Ninko is solid with his hand in the dirt. We don't really know if Shea McClellan has carved out a niche for himself anywhere. Only reports I have heard so far are that he's been unimpressive.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Just reading that he did play ST last year in CLE.

No idea if he was any good or not.

Given that he's super athletic and a hard worker by all accounts, it's hard to imagine him being anything less than capable on ST.

 

[RayClay]

Yet, somehow, other players in Cleveland have been able to perform at a higher level. How is that possible?

Yeah, that guy Sheard really took off...oh, never mind.

 

[Zeus]

Salary of $675k - even if guaranteed - is short money. It doesn't always work out, but BB is pretty good at figuring out what a guy can do and asking him to do that. It seems that they've wanted a shot at this guy for a while. I'm pretty curious to see what they've got in mind for him.

As for numbers and roster projections, let's see who's still on two feet next week and we'll sort it out then.

 

[manxman2601]

Don't know who Dustin Fox is or how good his sources are but the Pats might have really wanted Mingo,

 

[Urgent]

Given that he's super athletic and a hard worker by all accounts, it's hard to imagine him being anything less than capable on ST.

Reports from Cleveland is that's all he was doing this year in preseason.
So he could be seen as a Larry Izzo type of ST linebacker.

Ebner role?

 

[RobertWeathers]

Don't know who Dustin Fox is or how good his sources are but the Pats might have really wanted Mingo,

Jesus.

Gotta wonder...if Linda Holiday was naked or Mingo was rushing on 3rd an 8 what would get BB more aroused.

 

[DaBronxPats14]

Even with his guaranteed money it's still not much and worth a shot. Players come here and contribute better than anywhere else.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

DE/LB... that slash is like catnip to Belichick.. Ever since this guy came out, I wanted us to draft him because Barkevious Mingo is just such a great name. Way back when I sort of wanted D'Brichashaw Ferguson for pretty much the same reason. Ditto Prince Amukamorah. It's like our glory days in unusual names ended with Mosi Tatupu. I guess Ras I is a pretty fun name, if he worked out. But I am rooting for Barkevious for this reason. I want him good enough that it's worth buying the jersey (or renting, like my Easley jersey...)

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Mingo is new. Linda Holliday has been on the roster for a while. You're always more interested in a newer acquisition. He long ago tapped that acquisition.

 

[Fixit]

My buddy the Steelers fan (I know, I know) texted me to tell me how much he hates me and my team, so I'm feeling pretty good about this trade.