FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots' acquisition of defensive end/outside linebacker Barkevious Mingo from the Cleveland Browns for a 2017 fifth-round draft choice is another example of how the club targets potential assets with unique physical traits who have fallen out of favor with their teams because of a bad scheme fit, lack of production and/or coaching change.
It doesn't always work out -- a couple of notable examples come to mind from 2011 with defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth and Chad Ochocinco -- but when the price is relatively low, the thinking is that it's worth taking a flier because of the upside with top-end physical traits.