Browns trade ex-No. 6 pick Mingo to Pats
The Cleveland Browns traded linebacker Barkevious Mingo to the New England Patriots on Thursday for a fifth-round draft pick in 2017.
Mingo, a former LSU standout who was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2013 draft, has just seven sacks in three seasons and spent much of last season on special teams.
Mingo’s size — 6-4, 240 pounds — and speed have made him intriguing, but Cleveland’s coaching staff couldn’t find the best way to use him. The Browns moved the 25-year-old Mingo from outside linebacker to inside earlier this summer.
With the trade of Mingo, left tackle Joe Thomas and cornerbacks Joe Haden and Justin Gilbert are the only first-round selections by Cleveland from 2007 to 2014 who are still with the team.
The Browns now own Philadelphia’s 2017 firstround pick, Tennessee’s 2017 second-round pick, New England’s 2017 fifthround pick, Indianapolis’ 2017 seventh-round pick and Philadelphia’s 2018 second-round pick. Cleveland has conditionally surrendered its 2017 fourth-round pick to Philadelphia and its 2017 sixthor seventh-round pick to San Francisco.
The Patriots have little depth behind veteran linebackers Dont’a Hightower, Jaime Collins and Jonathan Freeny, so Mingo could make an impact.
There’s also an opportunity for him on the outside, with Rob Ninkovich and Jabaal Sheard, two pass rushers who were projected to have key roles this season, working back from injuries.
DEVELOPMENTS
Harrison, Matthews, Peppers talk to NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison and Green Bay Packers defensive players Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers met this week with NFL investigators looking into allegations linking them to performance-enhancing drugs, the players’ union said Thursday.
Last week, the league threatened Harrison, Matthews, Peppers and free agent Mike Neal with indefinite suspensions if they did not meet with investigators. All of them were mentioned in an Al-Jazeera television interview with Charlie Sly, who worked as an intern at an anti-aging clinic. In the December report, Sly made claims of PED use by several athletes, including Harrison, Peyton Manning and the three others, but he recanted his claims.
The since-retired Manning was cleared after a separate NFL investigation.
Vegas stadium backers demand $750M: Backers of a proposed NFL stadium said they’ve whittled their list to two sites just west of the Las Vegas Strip and refuse to accept any less than $750 million in public funding toward the project, which they hope will soon be home to the Raiders.
Representatives from Majestic Realty and the Las Vegas Sands casino company updated an oversight committee Thursday on their quest to build a 65,000-seat domed stadium. They said the price tag continues to rise and is now $1.9 billion and they said they’d walk away from the project if state lawmakers don’t meet their minimum financial demand.
“Not to be difficult, but we’re not negotiable,” said Sands President Rob Goldstein, who spoke on behalf of billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson and his family. “If we can’t get 750, we respectfully thank you, but we’re going to move on.”
Public funding would come from an increase in a Las Vegas-area hotel room tax and potentially from a special taxation district around the stadium. Officials said the stadium would be publicly owned, but the private investors would be on the hook for cost overruns and could potentially reap returns from their investment.
Briefly: The Detroit Lions cut running back Stevan Ridley, who has run for 2,907 yards over five seasons. Ridley started one game and played in eight more for the New York Jets last season and ran for just 90 yards. Detroit’s top two running backs are Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick . ... Broncos President John Elway, Cardinals Bruce Arians and former New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin have been added to the NFL’s competition committee, a source told The Associated Press. The powerful committee recommends rules changes . ... J.J. Watt could be nearing his return to the Houston Texans. The defensive end and three-time defensive player of the year is expected to practice next week for the first time since back surgery in July, NFL Network reported . ... Amy Adams Strunk, controlling owner of the Tennessee Titans, has been added to the NFL’s Hall of Fame Committee. The Hall of Fame Committee connects NFL owners with the Pro Football Hall of Fame but plays no role in selecting inductees . ... Barring an injury, wide receiver Victor Cruz is going to play for the New York Giants on Saturday in the annual preseason game against the Jets. Cruz has not played in a game since injuring a knee against Philadelphia in his sixth game in 2014.