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The Cleveland Browns have agreed to a trade with the New England Patriots for linebacker Chase Winovich.
The Browns will be sending linebacker Mack Wilson to the Patriots in a trade of players who need a fresh start.
The deal was reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Trade! The #Patriots are sending OLB Chase Winovich to the #Browns for LB Mack Wilson, per sources.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 15, 2022
Winovich was a third-round selection by the Patriots in the 2019 NFL Draft. While he played 13 games last season, Winovich saw his playing time decrease from 594 defensive snaps (with nine starts) in 2020 to just 113 (with no starts) last season.
Winovich had 11 sacks with the Patriots, but none last season as he dealt with a hamstring injury. The Patriots used him primarily as a pass rusher as they did not like his work against the run.
Chase Winovich finished Top 10 in pass-rush win rate during the 2020 campaign.
— Brent Sobleski (@brentsobleski) March 15, 2022
The 26-year-old battled through a hamstring injury last season and even did a stint on IR. Also, he fell out of favor with the Patriots staff to further limit his reps.
The Browns selected Mack in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He started 14 games as a rookie, but saw his playing time decrease to the point he was only on the field for 21 percent of Cleveland’s defensive snaps last season.
Winovich was statistically the Patriots’ best pass rusher in 2020 but his role fell off with the veteran additions in 2021. The trade isn’t surprising, but his inability to carve out more of a defensive role after his 2020 season was a bit of a mystery. https://t.co/7ixdPl3MmA
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) March 15, 2022
All told, Wilson played in 43 games for the Browns, making 28 starts and finishing with 163 tackles, a sack, nine passes defended and a forced fumble.
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