Grading the Jonathan Mingo trade: Carolina Panthers come out smiling (for once)

Jonathan Mingo's time with the Carolina Panthers always seemed doomed to fail. Those in power thought the wide receiver could become quarterback Bryce Young's favorite long-term target. Not even two seasons later, they shipped him to the Dallas Cowboys before the trade deadline.

Mingo is going to a franchise in disarray. The Cowboys are 3-5 without star quarterback Dak Prescott for the next four games. Unless Cooper Rush or Trey Lance take a monumental surge forward, the chances of Dallas catching up with the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles are remote.

Jerry Jones stated that the Cowboys were highly impressed with Mingo during his pre-draft evaluations. Not enough to draft him, which was thanks in no small part to Carolina valuing the player higher than most projections. This preconceived notion of his potential, completely ignoring his lack of production at the next level, worked in general manager Dan Morgan's favor.

The Panthers sent Mingo and a seventh-round selection to the Cowboys in exchange for a fourth-round pick. They took him No. 39 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, but this compensation received widespread approval among the fanbase considering how things unfolded for the wideout.

Carolina Panthers come out smiling with Jonathan Mingo trade

Mingo was involved plenty as a rookie but never generated any consistency whatsoever. Signs were positive once again during the summer under the new regime, but the same complications emerged. After being demoted down the target share in favor of Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker, the former Ole Miss standout became a disposable asset.

Many thought the Panthers fleeced Dallas in this transaction. Jones is coming under increasing fire for his handling of team affairs. This desperate move to salvage something from the campaign led to another desperate measure.

This was a sentiment echoed by an anonymous general manager speaking to Jane Slater from the NFL Network, who made no secret of his thoughts about Dallas massively overpaying for Mingo. Something that worked out favorably for the Panthers.

"Talented. A little raw. Comp is too much…like way too much. Basically a net 5th. Just my opinion. Not a bad player but to include a 4th is rich."

- Anonymous GM

Morgan took some heat for practically giving away Pro Bowl receiver Diontae Johnson to the Baltimore Ravens. However, he deserves a ton of credit for getting this for Mingo. Letting the situation drag on and turn into another Terrace Marshall Jr. farce was not an option. Thankfully, the new front office leader recognized this and reacted accordingly.

• Carolina Panthers trade grade: A+

This is the best possible solution for all parties. The move allows Mingo to potentially resurrect his career in a different environment with a team that does have some pieces despite Jones' constant mishaps. As for the Panthers? They extracted maximum value for a player that wasn't part of their plans moving forward.

It's a supreme vote of confidence in Carolina's promising young pass-catchers. And looking at the initial returns from Morgan's first draft class, there's a good chance he can find a productive performer with the pick acquired.

Simply put, it's the definition of a win-win. Mingo promised much but delivered little. Cutting the cord was the only viable option.

More Carolina Panthers news and analysis