FOXBOROUGH, Mass.— It’s no secret that Barkevious Mingo’s career never truly took off in Cleveland.

He’s hoping an out of the blue opportunity with a perennial Super Bowl contender will be just the thing to restore some gloss to a career that had begun to dull after three uneven years.

The linebacker is primed for a fresh start as New England’s newest addition following his trade from the Browns last week in exchange for a fifth-round pick in 2017.

But he has few opportunities to prove himself in his new home, given only one preseason game left before teams must make final roster cuts.

“It’s hard. These guys got couple of months on me,” Mingo said. “It’s a challenge but the guys here they’re really helping me come along, pointing me in the right direction and just getting me ready to play.”

The sixth overall pick of the 2013 draft, Mingo arrived in Cleveland with high expectations because of his intriguing size and speed combination at 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds.

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It never really manifested on the field, though, as he struggled to stand out and find a definitive role on a Browns defense that went through three head coaches and changes at defensive coordinator during his three seasons.

As Cleveland’s coaching leadership changed, the 25-year-old moved around Cleveland’s 3-4 defensive alignment. He was asked to adapt again this summer, moving from outside to inside linebacker. Now he’s coming back into the Patriots’ more familiar 4-3 defense, a style he played at LSU.

“It’s been several years in the making,” Mingo said. “I’ve played several positions at Cleveland and I think I’m equipped to make the transition.”

 The Patriots released defensive lineman Terrance Knighton and offensive lineman Bryan Stork, and placed guard Tre’ Jackson on the PUP/reserve list.

LIONS: Matthew Mulligan, a West Enfield native who played two years of football at the University of Maine, was cut by Detroit, according to a report by the Detroit Free Press.

Mulligan, a 31-year-old tight end, signed with Detroit in April after playing last season for the Buffalo Bills. Mulligan played in 12 games for Buffalo last season, including five starts. He had one reception.

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The Lions were Mulligan’s seventh team. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2009 by the New York Jets. After three seasons in New York, he played in 16 games for the St. Louis Rams in 2012. In 2013, he played 15 games for the New England Patriots. He played for three teams – the Chicago Bears, the Arizona Cardinals and the Tennessee Titans in 2014.

BRONCOS: Coach Gary Kubiak told the team Trevor Siemian will be the starting quarterback when it faces Carolina in the season opener Sept. 8.

Siemian has just one NFL snap on his resume, a kneel-down when he was the No. 3 QB last year behind Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler.

GIANTS: New York released four players, including Nikita Whitlock, who played fullback, defensive tackle and on special teams last season.

The Giants announced that Whitlock and tight end Matt LaCosse were waived/injured. Wide receiver Myles White and long snapper Tyler Ott were waived.


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