Terms: The Carolina Panthers traded wide receiver Jonathan Mingo and a 2025 seventh-round draft pick to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2025 fourth-round pick.
Why they made the move
The Panthers have sunk further into a rebuild this season with Bryce Young’s early benching — though he might the starter again — and enough losses to already virtually guarantee a seventh consecutive sub-.500 season. The Panthers shouldn’t be hanging up the phone if anyone calls about a trade.
Mingo, a 2023 second-round pick, had apparently fallen out of favor with first-year coach Dave Canales. After averaging 48.7 snaps per game from Weeks 3-5, Mingo has played 15 or fewer snaps in two of the past three games.
The Cowboys are curious buyers, but this seems to be a more of a long-term investment. Quarterback Dak Prescott is expected to land on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, and the Cowboys need a miracle to get back into playoff contention.
However, they need help at receiver, and Mingo is under contract through 2026. He’s got plenty of physical ability but needs to polish his game to reach his potential. The Cowboys liked Mingo before the draft and now get a chance to work with him.
Cowboys grade: Uhhh…
On one hand, it’s jolting that Mingo went for a similar price as DeAndre Hopkins. But this isn’t about comparing résumés. The Cowboys ponied up a fourth-rounder because the 23-year-old has two-plus seasons remaining on his rookie contract.
There’s not much likelihood the Cowboys get much return on their investment this season. But if Mingo turns into a solid second or third option behind CeeDee Lamb, no one will be dunking on the Cowboys for spending a Saturday pick on a receiver with upside.
Will McClay has done a strong job of identifying talent in the draft, and the Cowboys have a decent track record of developing receivers. In this case, it might just be OK to trust that the Cowboys know what they’re doing.
But if they miss? It’ll be an easy second guess. Mingo has 55 receptions for 539 yards and no touchdowns in 24 career games, so the pick hasn’t exactly worked out. Then again, very little has gone right for the Panthers in recent history, so it’s entirely possible Mingo’s lack of production is more about the overall operation than anything he’s done.
Read more for the Panthers’ grade
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