BEREA, Ohio a Outside linebacker Barkevious Mingo left the Browns training facility in January at a slender 227 pounds, according to his agent.

He returned two weeks ago looking fit enough to bench press the weight of expectations placed on the underperforming edge rusher since the franchise selected him No. 6 overall in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Seated in the team's media room Tuesday afternoon, Mingo's chest was noticeably thicker. His biceps bulged under a long-sleeve brown T-shirt. One thing that hadn't changed, however, was his reticence to discuss his weight.

Is Mingo frustrated by repeated questions about it since entering the league?

"No," he said.

On why he keeps his weight a secret: "It's not important. It's not important."

But one of his agents, Rick Roberts, was only too happy to chronicle the hard work Mingo put in this offseason in an effort to jumpstart a career that saw him become an afterthought in the Browns' defense last season.

During the course of an 18-minute conversation, Roberts was asked about his client's impressive physical transformation. When the inevitable suspicions about performance enhancing drugs were raised, Roberts chuckled.

"If Keke tests positive for anything it will be peanut butter," the agent said. "He's put a lot of work into getting ready for this year."

The unconventional story of Mingo packing on 20-pounds of muscle includes spending five weeks in the home of a former female body builder, training twice a day and inhaling portions of food that would have competitive eaters reaching for a jar of Tums.

Mingo is hungry. Like 5,892 calories-a-day hungry.

It remains to be seen whether his chiseled physique earns him more playing time and pass-rush opportunities. Whether he can finish more tackles and become the playmaker the Browns envisioned when he came out of LSU four years ago. It seems like a lot to ask of a player with seven career sacks and just two since his rookie season.

Mingo, however, is eager for the upcoming season and his reunion with defensive coordinator Ray Horton, a member of the coaching staff that drafted him.

"It's very nice to see him back, missed him when he left, but he's back now," Mingo said of Horton. "He's back leading this defense and we're looking to just replicate some of the things we did that first year (in 2013) and just win some ball games."

'I'm all in'

The Browns listed Mingo at 240 pounds last season, but he played considerably lighter. After a rookie season that started brightly a three sacks in his first three games a some assumed he would report to Berea considerably bigger in 2014.

The club changed coaching staffs after Mingo's first year, however, and the one led by Mike Pettine had different plans for him, Roberts said. The Browns used him more as a coverage linebacker, asking him to sacrifice some of his pass-rush chances. Mingo gutted his way through a year that saw him suffer a shoulder injury requiring offseason surgery.

Roberts said the staff never asked him to put on weight, preferring to utilize his quickness in tracking tight ends and running backs in coverage.

"They didn't want size on him," the agent said.

But after falling out of favor last season and hearing his name mentioned in trade rumors, Mingo and his handlers realized a new strategy was required. He needed to get stronger to take on blockers who often neutralized him at the point of attack. There were too many missed tackles and opportunities.

Roberts called Vickie Gates, a former world-class body builder of 23 years, who had worked with previous clients preparing for the draft. In late February, Mingo was scheduled to travel to Egypt with teammate Gary Barnidge, who runs American Football Without Barriers, a non-profit organization exposing international youth to the sport.

Mingo, who had made previous AFWB treks, cancelled the trip to spend roughly five weeks with Gates in suburban Dallas.

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"We thought it was the best thing for Keke and for the Browns," Roberts said. "He looked at us and said, 'I'm all in.'"

Gates, 53, didn't want Mingo living out of a hotel. So she moved him into her house, where he did everything from train to help her grandchildren with their homework. She prepared all his meals and oversaw his two workouts per day a one cardio, one weight training.

Some NFL players might feel awkward taking direction from a jacked-up granny. Not Mingo.

"He's a very easy-going person," said Gates, who runs Strictly Fitness. "He made it work. He ate what he was supposed to eat. He made my job very easy."

Gates started him on five small meals a day, hoping to put weight on his lithe frame. She quickly learned the linebacker had the metabolism of a hummingbird.

The trainer reduced the feedings, but increased the portions. Mingo ate three super-sized meals a day. Each included an energy shake with ice cream.

The breakfast menu featured grits, biscuits, eggs, sausage and the occasional pancake. Lunches and dinners consisted of combinations of baked potatoes, rice, chicken, beef, lasagna and a vegetable.

When Mingo wasn't guzzling shakes, he was eating peanut butter sandwiches. Roberts said they consulted the NFL's banned substance list to make sure their client wasn't violating any policy.

Mingo arrived in Dallas on Feb. 22 weighing 230 pounds and left on March 29 weighing 251.4 pounds, Gates said. The trainer, who works with several NFL players, took a picture of Mingo on the scale and sent it to Roberts.

"When I saw it, I almost had a heart attack," the colorful agent said. "I couldn't believe the difference."

Weighty matters

The challenge for Mingo and his metabolism is retaining the weight through the grueling days of training camp this summer when he won't be able to pack nearly 6,000 calories into his diet.

Roberts has arranged for three Cleveland-area restaurants to prepare and deliver his meals.

Will the additional weight make a difference in Mingo's game? The Browns probably won't know until they begin playing exhibition games as modern-day NFL practices feature little hitting.

"Honestly, this whole offseason my main focus was getting bigger," Mingo said. "Bigger, faster, stronger, and just coming into the building, coming into the workouts bigger, faster, stronger."

Assuming the league doesn't add peanut butter to its list of no-nos, a beefed-up Mingo and his handlers believe he's ready to tackle the game like never before.