Barkevious Mingo - Pro Football Rumors

Seahawks To Sign Barkevious Mingo

March 14th, 2018 at 5:58pm CST by Micah Powell

Seattle is set to sign former Colts linebacker Barkevious Mingo to a two-year deal worth $6.8 MM, with $3.2 MM in full guarantees, ESPN’s Brady Henderson tweets.

The deal also includes a $2.2 MM signing bonus, base salaries of $1 MM (2018) and $3 MM (2019), and $300,000 in per-game active roster bonuses. There are also incentives tied to sacks, playing time and the Pro Bowl. Mingo’s cap number for 2018 comes out to be $2.4 MM.

The No. 6 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft by the Browns, Mingo is coming off a two-sack campaign after signing with Indianapolis in the 2017 offseason. With Michael Bennett now in Philadelphia and defensive end Cliff Avril considering retirement, it made sense for Seattle to make a move for a pass rusher.

Mingo will team with Frank Clark and presumably Dion Jordan, who was tendered as a first-round pick, as Seattle’s rushers coming off the edge.

Top 2018 Free Agents By Position: Defense

March 6th, 2018 at 5:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

NFL free agency will get underway on Wednesday, March 14th, and while the list of free agents will change between now and then, we do have some idea of who will be available when free agency kicks off. The frenzy is right around the corner and it’s time for us to break down the outlook for each position. After looking at offense on Monday, we’ll tackle defense and special teams today.

Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each defensive position. These rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts – or the amount of guaranteed money – that each player is expected to land in free agency. These are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account.

Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents, as well as players who received the franchise tag, aren’t listed here, since the roadblocks in place to hinder another team from actually acquiring most of those players prevent them from being true free agents.

We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some free agents than you are, so feel free to weigh in below in our comments section to let us know which players we’ve got wrong.

Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by defensive position for 2018:

Edge defender:

As a positional group, pass rushers comprise interesting market on the defensive side of the ball. It’s not often that a list of best available players is topped by a 38-year-old, but Peppers is the top free agent edge defender after the Cowboys and Lions deployed the franchise tag on Demarcus Lawrence and Ezekiel Ansah, respectively. As with quarterbacks, NFL clubs are extremely reluctant to allow pass rushers to hit the open market, so top-tier options are rarely ever truly “available.” Peppers, for his part, hasn’t even declared whether he’ll return in 2018, but indications are that he’ll suit up for a 17th campaign after posting 11 sacks last year.

Alongside Peppers, other veterans populate the edge market, and while William Hayes may not be a household name, he’ll be a contributor for whichever team signs him. A stout run defender, Hayes is also capable of generating pressure despite managing only one sack in 2017. The Dolphins used Hayes on only 271 defensive snaps a season ago, and have since replaced him by acquiring fellow defensive end Robert Quinn from the Rams. Now that he’s entering his age-33 season, Hayes should come cheap, but will almost assuredly outplay his contract.

Nearly every other available pass rusher has some sort of flaw which will likely limit his market next week. Trent Murphy is only 27 years old and put up nine sacks in 2016, but he missed the entirety of the 2017 campaign with injury. Pernell McPhee, Alex Okafor, Junior Galette, and Derrick Shelby have also been plagued by health questions in recent seasons. And Adrian Clayborn famously registered the majority of his 2017 sacks (and 20% of his career sack total) in one game against overwhelmed Cowboys backup Chaz Green.

The two names that I keep coming back to are Aaron Lynch (49ers) and Jeremiah Attaochu (Chargers). Yes, Lynch has been suspended for substance abuse, struggled with his weight, and was reportedly in danger of being waived prior to last season. He’s also extremely young (he won’t turn 25 years old until Thursday) and ranked fifth in the league with 34 pass pressures as recently as 2015. Attaochu, a 25-year-old former second-round pick, also has youth on his side, and while he hasn’t quite flashed as much as Lynch, he’s also been buried on LA’s depth chart for much of his career.

Interior defensive line:

Interior rushers are getting more respect in today’s NFL, but that still hasn’t translated to them being paid on the level of edge defenders — the 2018 franchise tag for defensive tackles, for example, is roughly $3MM cheaper than the tender for edge rushers. While the 2018 crop of interior defenders boasts some impressive top-end talent, none of the available players figure to earn a double-digit annual salary. Sheldon Richardson may have the best chance to do so, but Seattle determined he wasn’t worth a one-year cost of $13.939MM, so is any other club going to pay him $10MM per year? I’d guess he comes in closer to $9MM annually, which would still place him among the 25 highest-paid defensive tackles.

Dontari Poe will be an intriguing free agent case after setting for a one-year deal last offseason, but the most interesting battle among defensive tackles will take place Star Lotulelei and Muhammad Wilkerson, and I’m curious to see which player earns more on the open market. Both are former first-round picks, and it’s difficult to argue Wilkerson hasn’t been the more productive player — or, at least, reached higher highs — than Lotulelei. Wilkerson also won’t affect his next team’s compensatory pick formula given that he was released, but his off-field issues, which include a reported lack of effort and problems with coaches, could limit his appeal.

While Beau Allen and Denico Autry are potentially candidates to be overpaid based on their youth, there are bargains to be had at defensive tackle. Tom Johnson is 33 but he’s offered consistent pressure from the interior for years — his last contract was for three years and $7MM, so he shouldn’t cost much this time around. Haloti Ngata was injured in 2017 but plans to continue his career, and he can still stop the run. And Dominique Easley was outstanding as a 3-4 end in 2016 before missing last season with a torn ACL, meaning the former first-round pick could be a value play for any number of teams.Read more

Linebacker:

Although there are a number of high-quality starting linebackers available in free agency this year, I predict most contracts signed by LBs over the next few weeks will come in lower that most expect. The linebacker market is relatively stagnant, and unless the player is a legitimate star or inking an extension with his original club, he’s usually disappointed with his annual value. The most expensive deal for an unrestricted free agent ‘backer who signed with a new team was Bruce Irvin‘s $9.25MM/year pact with the Raiders, and Irvin can almost be considered an edge rusher. After Irvin, it’s Danny Trevathan, whom the Bears signed for a $7MM annual value in 2016.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise if no linebacker listed above is able to top Trevathan’s two-year-old average, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t starting-caliber LBs on the market. Zach Brown, the poster boy for having to accept cheap contracts, is coming off another solid season, but is reportedly asking for top-three inside linebacker money. Good luck. Similarly, Demario Davis is looking for $8-10MM annually, while the Jets — who have interest in re-signing him — view him as a $3-4MM/year player.

Nigel Bradham and NaVorro Bowman should both come in around Trevathan’s $7MM average after posting excellent 2017 campaigns. While the Eagles would surely prefer to re-sign Bradham, the club’s dire cap situation may mean Bradham will hit the open market next Wednesday. Bowman, meanwhile, was traded from the 49ers to Raiders last season, and he seems like a good bet to stay with Oakland after new defensive coordinator Paul Guenther heaped lavish praise on the 29-year-old.

Cornerback:

Top-to-bottom, the cornerback market is the deepest positional group on the defensive side of the ball. Need a No. 1 defensive back with experience in both man and zone? Trumaine Johnson is your guy. How about a top-end cornerback who, while admittedly up-and-down at times, has the ability to shut down opposing wide receivers? Malcolm Butler has you covered. A former first-round pick who has finally played up to his potential over the past two seasons? Take a look at Morris Claiborne. Or is a career journeyman who posted 10 excellent games last year more your speed? Look into Rashaan Melvin.

Slot cornerbacks are also prevalent in this year’s defensive back market, and while I ranked Aaron Colvin, T.J. Carrie, Patrick Robinson, and Nickell Robey-Coleman in order of my preference, they could each be plugged into a starting nickel package immediately. I originally though Robinson could land a disappointing deal given his age (31) and his track record of underwhelming play prior to 2017, but he’s already garnering interest from the Giants, Raiders, and Cardinals, so his market should allow him to reach at least $5MM annually. Colvin could garner even more than Robinson thanks his youth (26), and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com expects Colvin to have a “legit” market.

If teams are looking for a bargain at cornerback, they should target Ross Cockrell, whom the Steelers dealt to the Giants last year for a seventh-round pick. Cockrell has always been overlooked in the NFL, but he keeps producing results. In 2017, Cockrell finished first in Football Outsiders’ success rate, which measures cornerbacks on their ability to consistently stop opposing wideouts short of the sticks. In fact, Cockrell was one of only eight defenders who stopped a receiver short of a successful gain on over half their tackles a season ago, as FO’s Aaron Schatz recently tweeted, but the league consistently undervalues him and his skill-set.

Safety:

The best free agent safety was taken off the board earlier today when the Rams used the franchise tag on Lamarcus Joyner, and the remaining market is extremely top-heavy. Eric Reid, Morgan Burnett, Tre Boston, and Kenny Vaccaro could all be in line for at least $5MM annually, but the rest of the class could struggle to find multi-year deals. Among the top-tier safeties, Vaccaro stands out as perhaps the most interesting name. A first-round pick in 2013, Vaccarro has posted three exemplary campaigns and two dreadful years; in 2017, Pro Football Focus ranked Vaccaro as the single-worst safety in the league among 87 qualifiers. But given his draft pedigree and his ability to man the slot, Vaccaro should land a solid deal.

While I like Reid and Burnett a bit more as players, it wouldn’t be a shock if Boston actually lands the largest contract. Reid and Burnett spend a lot of time close to the line of scrimmage, and both have been used as de factor linebackers from time to time. Boston, on the other hand, is a deep safety who can play coverage, and that repertoire is much more difficult to find on the open market. Similarly, Tyvon Branch has been great in coverage during his career with the Raiders, Chiefs, and Cardinals, so he could also see a nice pay bump next week.

After Branch, the crop of available safeties steeply drops off. Every other free agent we’ve listed above will be at at least 29 years old when the 2018 gets underway except for the Lions’ Tavon Wilson, and he was one of the NFL’s worst starting defensive backs last season. Veterans like Corey Graham or Ron Parker can still play as third safeties who see time in “big nickel” packages, but if you’re looking for a starting safety, you’ll want to bring in one of the top six defensive backs on the board.

Kicker:

Punter:

Colts To Sign Barkevious Mingo

March 9th, 2017 at 5:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts lost out on some marquee free agents on Day 1 of the NFL’s player-movement period but agreed to sign an auxiliary pass-rusher in Barkevious Mingo. The deal is for one year and $2.5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Ben Volin of The Boston Globe tweets that the deal includes $500K in guaranteed money.

Indianapolis entered free agency with a glaring need at the edge-rushing spots, with much of its 2016 sack total associated with UFAs or players that retired. Mingo will join the Colts as a former first-round pick but one who hasn’t lived up to his potential. Mingo registered seven sacks with the Browns in 2013-14 but none since, and the Patriots acquired him for a 2017 fifth-round pick.

Trent Cole and Erik Walden entered free agency, and Robert Mathis retired after the 2016 season. Those three were responsible for 18 Colts sacks last season. Mingo figures to play a depth role in Indy as he attempts to recapture some of the promise that made him the No. 6 pick in 2013.

The Hidden Value Of Barkevious Mingo

August 26th, 2016 at 11:38am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Twitter-verse was quick to decide a winner in yesterday’s trade of linebacker Barkevious Mingo from the Browns to the Patriots, with the new potential outcomes for the former sixth overall pick ranging from Pro Bowler to Hall of Famer. Bill Belichick has certainly earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to wringing out every last bit of talent from an unheralded player, but the New England head coach might be playing an entirely different game altogether: mastering the NFL’s compensatory pick system.

While the league has never disclosed the formula that it uses when calculating which clubs receive compensatory selections, the basics of the process are known. Essentially, comp picks are granted to teams that lose more compensatory players than they sign during the free agent period. Each club can receive a maximum of four comp selections, and while the specifics of the method aren’t made public, analysts such as Nick Korte of Over the Cap have reverse-engineered the exercise to reveal that average salary and play time are key factors.

The Patriots, among other teams, have taken advantage of this arrangement for years by staying out of the big-ticket free agent market. As Bill Barnwell of Grantland explained last January:

By [not signing expensive free agents] and having other teams target their free agents, the Patriots come in line for various compensatory picks from the NFL’s obtuse, black-box system. These picks aren’t tradable (ed. note: comp picks will be tradable beginning in 2017), and no team can receive anything higher than a third-rounder as part of the league’s system, but their value can add up over time. The Patriots have made 25 compensatory selections during Belichick’s time with the team, and the estimated value of those picks — based on their draft slot alone — is roughly between the value of having the first overall pick and the second overall pick. All for not signing free agents.

But Belichick and the rest of the New England front office have also been targeting another ripe area of the NFL’s structure: the trade market, and more specifically, the trade market for players nearing the end of their contracts. Mingo is the latest example, but over the past several years, the Patriots have looked to acquire players who were close to reaching the free agent market, presumably in the hopes that yet another compensatory pick might come their way.

Lions Had Interest in Barkevious Mingo

August 25th, 2016 at 2:49pm CST by Zachary Links

Before he was traded to the Patriots, the Lions expressed interest in acquiring linebacker Barkevious Mingo from the Browns, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The Patriots gave up a fifth-round pick to acquire Mingo, a price higher than you might expect for a player who was mostly relegated to special teams duty last season. With other teams like the Lions in need of linebacker help, the price for the former top ten pick creeped up.

Earlier this month, the Lions learned that linebacker Jon Bostic will be sidelined for a while following an unspecified surgery. While Bostic was not slated to start, he was expected to be a key reserve. The Lions are planning to start Kyle Van Noy, Tahir Whitehead, and DeAndre Levy with the likes of Josh Bynes, fifth-round pick Antwione Williams, Jerry Franklin, and Khaseem Greene in reserve.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Browns Trade Barkevious Mingo To Patriots

August 25th, 2016 at 2:25pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have agreed to trade Barkevious Mingo to the Patriots, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Browns will receive a 2017 fifth-round pick in return, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal (on Twitter). Both teams have confirmed the swap via press release.

With Rob Ninkovich, Jabaal Sheard, and Shea McClellin nursing injuries, Mingo could be a valuable fill-in for New England. Of course, all of those injuries only further weakened the front seven after the Pats traded Chandler Jones to the Cardinals earlier this offseason.

Mingo, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2013 draft, had his fifth-year option for 2017 declined earlier this offseason. Mingo has basically become a special teams guy for the Browns – a far cry from what they expected from him a few short years ago. The LSU product was not considered a lock to even make the team this offseason and the Browns apparently will get something for him rather than nothing.

Last season, Mingo played 256 defensive snaps and did not record a single sack. He recorded 5.0 sacks as a rookie, but his production has decreased in every season since then.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC North Notes: Le’Veon, Steelers, Browns

July 9th, 2016 at 6:10pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell recently suggested through song that he’s worth $15MM annually, there’s almost no chance that he’d earn that salary on the open market. Adrian Peterson is currently the highest-paid running back on an average annual basis at $14MM, while LeSean McCoy, at roughly $8MM per season, is second. Bell, who would have to redefine the running back market in order to land $15MM, walked back his comments while speaking with James Walker of ESPN.com today.

“I’m not a real greedy guy. I don’t play football just for money or things like that,” said Bell, while also reiterating that he’ll be ready for training camp after spending the offseason recovering from a MCL/PCL injury. “I just want to be valued. Wherever it is — whether its $15 million or lower or higher, whatever it is – I think we will get to an agreement eventually. “Obviously, I want to be a Steeler for my whole life. My family grew up Pittsburgh Steelers fans, and it’s crazy I even got drafted there. So I want to be with them and hopefully we’ll reach an agreement. But that will take place once that time come.”

Here’s a few more items from the AFC North:

Former first-round pick Barkevious Mingo isn’t a lock to earn a spot on the Browns‘ roster, according to Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com, who writes that it’s difficult to see how Mingo fits among Cleveland’s linebacking corps. I reached the same conclusion in our recent review of the Browns’ offseason, noting that Mingo has essentially become a glorified special teams player. Cleveland has already declined Mingo’s fifth-year option for 2017, meaning he’ll become a free agent after the upcoming season, but with Nate Orchard, Paul Kruger, and potentially Joe Schobert ahead of him on the depth chart, Mingo could hit the open market as soon as this summer.
The Browns’ safety room will have a completely different in makeup this season now that 2015 starters Tashaun Gipson and Donte Whitner are gone, per Dan Labbe of Cleveland.com. With Gipson in Jacksonville and Whitner still looking for work as a free agent, Cleveland will turn to Ibraheim Campbell and Jordan Poyer as starters, as Roster Resource shows. But the club has a few more interesting options who could eventually factor into the secondary picture, including Rahim Moore, Don Jones, Sean Baker, Derrick Kindred, and A.J. Stamps. Moore, notably, looks like a strong option to steal snaps down the road, as he has 54 career starts under his belt.
Earlier this afternoon, Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tubin spoke on a number of topics, including whether Cincinnati might add a veteran free agent, whether his club has spoken with receiver Anquan Boldin, and Tobin’s own future with the Bengals.

Browns Decline Option On Barkevious Mingo

May 2nd, 2016 at 1:37pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns will not pick up the fifth-year option on linebacker Barkevious Mingo, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Mingo is now entering his contract year in Cleveland.

Mingo, an LSU product, was taken with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2013 draft. That draft, of course, was guided by the Browns’ old regime spearheaded by former GM Michael Lombardi and assistant GM Ray Farmer. The new decision-makers would like to see more from Mingo before potentially committing to him for 2017 and beyond.

Mingo, 26 in October, has appeared in 46 games for the Browns across the last three years but started only 16 games. Last season was Mingo’s least impactful campaign to date as he notched only 18 total tackles. This year, Mingo will try to silence critics who have justifiably labeled him as a draft bust.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Breer’s Latest: P. Manning, Browns, L.A.

November 13th, 2015 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s a widely-held assumption in NFL circles that Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning will call it a career after the 2015 season and will subsequently find work as an NFL executive, says Albert Breer of the NFL Network in his latest column. According to Breer, Cleveland and Tennessee are frequently mentioned as potential landing spots for the future Hall-of-Famer, with Indianapolis and New Orleans “not to be completely discounted” either.

It’s not clear whether or not Manning would be immediately effective if he were to transition into a decision-making role in a team’s front office so soon after his playing career ended. Still, as Breer observes, “it’s easy to figure someone with Manning’s football acumen would be able to figure things out on the fly, so long as the right structure existed around him.”

Here are a few more items of interest from Breer’s column:

While the Browns made clear to other teams that they were open for business prior to the deadline, some of their potential trade chips – such as Joe Thomas and Paul Kruger – drew interest, while others – like Barkevious Mingo – didn’t. According to Breer, some potential trade partners had trouble determining “who was carrying the hammer” in Cleveland, since GM Ray Farmer said he’d have to check with other members of the organization before engaging in serious discussions.
Continuing to address the Browns, Breer notes that, internally, the team doesn’t see chain of command as having been an issue this year, including at the deadline. Other clubs viewed Cleveland as being indecisive “when the heat was turned up” though.
There continues to be steady progress on getting the NFL back to Los Angeles, according to Breer, who provides an update from this week’s relocation committee meetings. As Breer details, some owners are concerned about allowing a team to bend relocation guidelines in order to move, so that club must provide a strong case that its existing market has failed.
While there’s no guarantee the Seahawks make a second-half run – as they did last season – the team is confident it still has an impressive core in place. “The guys here feel like once they play for each other the way they know they can, there’s something really strong here,” one Seahawks source tells Breer.

Trade Rumors: Cowboys, Young, McCourty

November 3rd, 2015 at 2:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Will we see any trades finalized around the NFL today? Teams have less than an hour before this afternoon’s 3:00pm CT deadline arrives, so they’ll have to act fast to get anything done. Here are a few of the latest rumors and rumblings:

The Cowboys won’t be making any trades today, according to owner Jerry Jones (link via Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com). Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones said the team had some calls, but nothing serious developed.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the defensive end market has been the most active today, with names like Vinny Curry (Eagles), Willie Young (Bears), and Jeremy Mincey (Cowboys) generating interest. It’s not clear yet whether their respective teams will move them, however.
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) also mentions Young in his list of the players he’s heard mentioned the most today. La Canfora’s other names include 49ers tackle Joe Staley, Rams right end Jared Cook, Browns linebackers Paul Kruger and Barkevious Mingo, Raiders wideout Rod Streater, and Chiefs cornerback Marcus Cooper.
Per La Canfora (via Twitter), the Jets are among the teams that have been “sniffing around” pass rushers.
After reporting earlier that the Patriots had interest in Titans cornerback Jason McCourty, Rapoport says he’s now hearing that McCourty is no longer available (Twitter link).