Browns land Chase Winovich, send Mack Wilson to Patriots in trade
The Cleveland lBrowns agreed Tuesday to trade linebacker Mack Wilson to the New England Patriots for edge defender Chase Winovich, a person familiar with the deal confirmed.
NFL Network first reported the deal involving Wilson, a fifth-round selection in 2019, and Winovich, a third-round choice in the same draft.
The trade cannot be finalized until 4 p.m. Wednesday, when free agency officially kicks off.
In three NFL seasons, Winovich has started nine of his 45 regular-season games and compiled 85 tackles, including 11 sacks, 23 quarterback hits, an interception, two passes defensed and a forced fumble.
Wilson started 28 of the 43 games in which he appeared with the Browns and compiled 163 tackles, including a sack, nine passes defensed, a forced fumble, an interception and two quarterback hits.
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Last season, Wilson became mostly a special teams player for the Browns, and Winovich didn't start at all.
A decreased role for Wilson came as no surprise, though, because the Browns traded up in the second round last year to draft Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who plays the same weakside linebacker position as Wilson.
Winovich could fill the No. 3 edge rusher role for the Browns. Takk McKinley held it last season, but he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon on Dec. 20 against the Las Vegas Raiders and is set to hit the open market Wednesday.
All-Pro Myles Garrett is the only starting defensive lineman under contract with the Browns for next season. The team wants to bring back fellow starting end Jadeveon Clowney, but he'll hit the open market Wednesday along with veteran defensive tackle Malik Jackson, who probably won't be re-signed. Malik McDowell, the other starting defensive tackle last season, won't be retained as an exclusive rights free agent because of his arrest in January.
The Browns and former Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Taven Bryan agreed to a one-year contract Monday evening worth as much as $5 million with incentives. Bryan is a former first-round pick, drafted 29th overall by the Jaguars in 2018.