NFL Rumors: New England Patriots Trade For Barkevious Mingo From Cleveland Browns

NFL teams do not make a lot of trades, but one team is keeping the phone lines busy. According to NBC Sports, the New England Patriots are trading for Barkevious Mingo from the Cleveland Browns. The pass-rushing linebacker was the sixth overall selection in the NFL Draft in 2013.

It is safe to say that Barkevious Mingo has seen his stock plummet since joining the NFL. He was supposed to be a dominant pass rusher. Mingo had five sacks during his rookie season, which was promising. He followed that up with a two-sack season before getting zero last season.

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is not too concerned with those stats. He traded for Barkevious Mingo because he wanted the raw talent that he could develop himself. For all of his flaws, Mingo is still 25-years-old. He is also 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, filled with athleticism and potential.

"Some details on the trade that will send LB Barkevious Mingo from Cleveland to New England:… https://t.co/pluInYle4J"

— Fantasy Plus NFL (@FantasyPlusNFL) August 25, 2016

Bill Belichick had recent success by plucking a defensive player away from the Cleveland Browns. Former second-round pick Jabaal Sheard was signed as a free agent, and he became an immediate contributor for the New England Patriots. Many credit Belichick for helping Sheard reach his full potential in the NFL.

Depth is something that Bill Belichick really values. Earlier this summer, the New England Patriots signed Chris Long, as reported by SB Nation. The team already had a deep defensive line, but Belichick wanted to make sure that he had as much talent on the unit as he possibly could.

By having depth, the decision to trade away Chandler Jones, who was going to be asking for a huge amount of money when he becomes a free agent, to the Arizona Cardinals. The New England Patriots are going to miss what Jones brings on the field, but the depth will help alleviate that loss.

With the Cleveland Browns, Barkevious Mingo played outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. That meant that he played in a two-point stance, with both hands off the ground. Though his defensive linemen did occupy the offensive linemen in this scheme, Mingo was also tasked with the responsibility of containment and coverage.

Bill Belichick plays a hybrid defense. It is a combination of the 3-4 scheme and 4-3 scheme. Very few coaches in the NFL can do that as well as Belichick can. While positions are ambiguous in their scheme, the New England Patriots will more than likely use Barkevious Mingo like a pure pass rushing defensive end in a 4-3 scheme.

To his credit, Barkevious Mingo has added 20 pounds of muscle since the regular season ended. The belief was that the former LSU Tigers star did that because he wanted to bulk up enough to function as a defensive end on a regular basis.

By being able to focus on his best skill, Barkevious Mingo might be able to turn his career in the NFL around. He can shed the bust label by being a productive member of the New England Patriots, a team that is expected to go pretty far in the NFL Playoffs as long as Tom Brady is still the quarterback.

In a rather interesting note, the New England Patriots now have the sixth and seventh overall picks from the NFL Draft in 2013. Mingo, of course, was the sixth selection. Jonathan Cooper, whom the Patriots acquired from the Arizona Cardinals, was the seventh selection that year.

The “bust” label is thrown around rather quickly when it comes to the NFL. Barkevious Mingo has only been in the league for three seasons. Being in an environment like the New England Patriots could help Mingo reach his potential.

[Photo by Brian Kersey/Getty Images]