Jonathan Mingo's time with the Carolina Panthers was an unmitigated disaster. The wide receiver was taken at No. 39 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft and never came close to reaching this billing. General manager Dan Morgan reacted with conviction when the pass-catcher slipped further down the depth chart than ever.
Morgan took Mngo's situation for what it was and extracted maximum value. The front office leader took some heat for getting almost nothing in return for Pro Bowl wideout Diontae Johnson. This flipped completely after sending the Ole Miss product to the Dallas Cowboys before the 2024 trade deadline.
The Panthers sent Mingo and a seventh-round pick to the Cowboys in exchange for their fourth-rounder. This gives Carolina no fewer than 11 choices during the 2025 NFL Draft according to Tankathon to assist with Morgan's rebuilding project.
Things might get worse before they get better, but the future is promising if Morgan can find the right pieces.
Carolina Panthers got a great Jonathan Mingo haul in tricky circumstances
A new update on the trade made the Panthers look even better. Jeremy Fowler from ESPN (subscription required) was floored by the compensation Dallas gave up to acquire Mingo, especially considering his lack of involvement and the fact Carolina had almost no leverage at 2-7 with the need to start planning for the future.
"Carolina getting a fourth-rounder from Dallas in exchange for [Jonathan] Mingo was a shocker. Former Day 2 picks who are out of the lineup typically don't garner that. The Panthers were eager to deal him. Yes, contractual control was a factor in his value. Mingo is in the second year of his rookie deal, meaning Dallas has him under contract for the next 2½ seasons for slightly more than $4 million in total. The Cowboys felt they had to pay a premium for that, and Mingo does have some upside. But Carolina didn't have much leverage here."Jeremy Fowler, ESPN
Morgan drove a hard bargain in this instance. He was also aware of how desperate the Cowboys are at 3-5 with their hyped-up aspirations hanging by a thread.
Jerry Jones - the owner/general manager who's come under increasing scrutiny in recent months - revealed he was a big fan of Mingo during his pre-draft assessments. The billionaire ignored his woeful performances in a competitive setting and downward trajectory to part ways with more than the going rate.
This is the best possible solution for the Panthers. They rid themselves of a player surplus to requirements and got a decent haul in return. Mingo was being cast aside slowly, which stems from unreliability when targets came his way and the rapid emergence of Jalen Coker, tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders, and Xavier Legette. A fresh start was always on the cards if suitable interest arrived.
Mingo should be highly motivated to silence his doubters. It won't be easy with star quarterback Dak Prescott missing for the next four weeks and potentially longer with a hamstring tear. That's of no interest to the Panthers anymore, who'll be focused on developing the guys they have before determining whether more is needed in 2025.
Jones will be expecting an immediate return on his investment as all good businessmen do. Whether Mingo's got the talent to meet these targets is another matter.