Barkevious Mingo at a Minimum Gives Bears Experience

Barkevious Mingo brings the wisdom of 110 NFL games and 37 starts for five NFL teams to the Bears, as well as one Super Bowl ring.

Considering their lack of experience or success at many other positions, the resume is valued even if Mingo doesn't necessarily carry a lengthy career of individual accomplishment within a defense.

A first-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2013, Mingo has played 3-4 edge rusher and 4-3 outside linebacker along the way but mainly has been a 3-4 outside linebacker who is athletic enough to drop into pass coverage or to rush the passer.

He just hasn't been real successful at rushing the passer. Seven of his 10 career sacks and 20 of his 33 career quarterback hits came in his first two seasons with the Browns when he was still considered a potential starting edge rusher. He had five as a rookie, just five sense then but has been used in various ways along his journey through the NFL.

What Mingo really has been is a key special teams contributor. He has 38 career tackles and in Seattle two years ago started 14 games and at the same time on special teams made 12 tackles, a forced fumble and blocked kick.

"Very team-oriented, and just a great guy," said Bears special teams coordinator Chris Tabor about Mingo, who played for him in Cleveland. "So he's a guy who can play a lot of different roles for us.

"I mean, he can run. The guy can run. And he made a lot of plays for me. And if he didn't make the tackle, he was actually one of the lead reasons why somebody else made the tackle."

Even in his role as a part-time starter or reserve, Mingo has managed to contribute 42 tackles or more four times.

While the Bears will be Mingo's sixth team in six seasons, it's not as if every team was cutting him. He hasn't been cut by anyone. He either left as a free agent or in two instances was traded.

The Patriots obtained him for a fifth-round pick and he keyed special teams while serving as a reserve when they went on to beat the Atlanta Falcons for the Lombardi Trophy. Seattle traded Mingo, Jacob Martin and a third-round pick to get Jadeveon Clowney for one season from Houston.

When the Bears signed him in free agency they had a fairly good idea of what they're getting in Mingo since Tabor coached him three years in Cleveland, then defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano and outside linebackers coach Ted Monachino had him in Indianapolis for a season.

What they'd really benefit from is if Mingo could return to that form he had in 2013 as a rookie, when he came in a first-round draft pick and made five sacks.

Getting a number like five sacks off the edge as a relief rusher for Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn would make it easier for the Bears to bring along rookie Trevis Gipson, and keep their pass rush dangerous from end to end even when the big guns are getting a rest.

Barkevious Mingo at a Glance

LSU OLB

Height: 6-foot-5

Weight: 235

Key Number: Mingo has forced five fumbles and recovered five fumbles despite starting only 37 NFL games in his seven seasons.

2020 Projection: 2 Sacks, 21 tackles, 6 special teams tackles , a forced fumble.

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