The Jonathan Mingo trade is turning heads.
The fact that the Carolina Panthers traded Mingo away before the NFL's trade deadline on November 5 is not the surprise. The fact that grabbed everyone's attention in NFL circles is the fact Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys decided to pony up a fourth-round choice for the young receiver.
If that sounds steep, it is. It's very steep. Still, Jones apparently had a crush on his target and paid through the nose to get him.
Mingo is not without value. He was, after all, a top 40 pick just a year ago, so it makes sense that a new team would be interested in a classic change-of-scenery deal. But the Panthers had no leverage here. Mingo looked horrible. Even after trading away Diontae Johnson and without Adam Thielen and in an already-lost season, the Panthers were still not featuring Mingo at all in the passing game to see what he could do.
To make things even worse, the very people who selected Mingo last year for Carolina are the same people who are still largely in charge in Carolina this year. As in, the people who were responsible for the initial investment weren't even curious to see how he could develop after a single year in the NFL.
Enter Jones, who just paid a fourth round choice for Mingo and a seventh. If that sounds ridiculous, it is. Amari Cooper was cheaper for the Bills. Mingo's teammate, Diontae Johnson, required the Ravens to only move back a single round on day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft. The market for receivers was depressed even for productive ones and yet the Cowboys paid handsomely for Mingo.
Even the Chiefs have to be laughing knowing that DeAndre Hopkins, who just scored 2 touchdowns in primetime to put his new team over the top against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, cost only a 5th-round choice that could become a 4th-rounder with significant incentives. If you want to call that even, that's fine in terms of compensation, but Mingo has looked miserable as an NFL receiver
We're inclined to agree, RGIII.
