Mingo traded to Patriots for fifth-round pick

The Browns, in yet another move to step away from bad decisions made by previous regimes, on Aug. 25 announced they traded Barkevious Mingo to the New England Patriots for a fifth-round draft choice.

Mingo was the sixth pick of the 2013 draft selected when Joe Banner was CEO and Mike Lombardi was general manager. Mingo should be entering the prime of his career. Instead, Hue Jackson and his coaching staff spent the last four months trying to find a spot for him without success.

Mingo, a slender outside linebacker, made just 18 tackles in 16 games last year. He did not have a sack. He had a sack in each of his first three games as a rookie but only

four in the next 43 games. He joins Jabaal Sheard, another former Browns linebacker/defensive end, playing for Bill Belichick in New England. Former general manager Ray Farmer let Sheard go in free agency last year.

To put how little the Browns got for Mingo in perspective, the first pick

of the fifth-round in 2016 was pick 140 overall. Given the Patriots’ predictable chance of success, the choice acquired for Mingo will probably be closer to 160 or 165.

Quarterback Johnny Manziel (picked 22nd in 2014) and safety Donte Whitner are among prominent players from the team constructed by Farmer cut in the offseason by current Executive Vice President of Football Operations Sashi Brown.

The current administration also let safety Tashaun Gipson, center Alex Mack, right tackle Mitchell Schwartz and Travis Benjamin go in free agency.

Mingo was unhappy the Browns chose not to pick up his fifth-year option of $11.9 million for next season. That decision means Mingo will be a free agent in 2017.

He totaled 99 tackles in three seasons — 42 as a rookie, 39 in 2014 and

the 18 last year. He had one interception and one fumble recovery.

The Browns now own four additional picks in 2017 — the Eagles’ firstround pick, the Titans’ second-round choice, the Patriots’ fifth-round pick and the Colts’ seventhround pick. They have conditionally traded their 2017 fourth-round pick to Philadelphia and their 2017 sixth- or seventhround pick to San Francisco.