Jerry Jones‘ mystery wide receiver is now revealed. The Cowboys will make a deal with the Panthers, who are sending Jonathan Mingo to the NFC East team, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
In a corresponding move, Pelissero notes cornerback Andrew Booth has been waived. The 2022 Viking made only a pair of starts across two seasons in Minnesota. The former second-rounder was dealt to the Cowboys in a swap for fellow corner Nahshon Wright back in August, giving both players a change of scenery. Booth, 24, played just 38 snaps with Dallas and he will now hit the waiver wire.
Mingo was viewed as a player no longer in Carolina’s plans, and the 2023 second-rounder had not caught on in either of the two offensive systems in which he has played. The Cowboys are taking a flier on a player who was a top-40 pick just last year. The Cowboys will add Mingo and a seventh-round pick, while the Panthers will receive a fourth-rounder, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets.
[RELATED: Panthers Deal Diontae Johnson To Ravens]
Mentioned in PFR’s rundown of the WR trade market, Mingo joins Adam Thielen as players the Panthers appeared OK dealing. Thielen remains with Carolina, but the 34-year-old veteran is believed to be eager to join a contender. Thielen is signed through 2025 but profiles as a cut candidate next year — due to his age and his ’25 salary being nonguaranteed. The Panthers have already dealt two of their WRs; a third would certainly be interesting, even for a rebuilding team.
This is a better return than the Panthers received for Diontae Johnson, who fetched merely a Day 3 pick swap in the Ravens trade. Mingo being signed through 2026 undoubtedly procured that for the Panthers, as the Cowboys will have multiple years to evaluate the Ole Miss alum. Mingo’s age (23) and contract status factored into this value, as it is worth noting the Cowboys-Browns Amari Cooper trade and the Dallas-Houston Brandin Cooks swap did not involve a fourth-round pick.
Mingo managed a 4.46-second 40-yard dash at 220 pounds during the 2023 Combine, leading to the Cowboys showing interest, per Jones. ESPN’s Scouts Inc. rated Mingo as its No. 37 overall prospect. Mingo only topped 300 receiving yards in one of his four Rebels seasons, however, with the 2022 campaign bringing 861 yards and five touchdowns last season. But he still caught the Panthers’ eye before becoming the No. 39 overall pick last year. Carolina had managed to keep No. 39 despite acquiring Bryce Young via trade-up; that decision led to Carolina trading No. 61 to Chicago, which also acquired the Panthers’ 2025 second-rounder in that seminal swap.
The Cowboys had chosen Jalen Tolbert in the 2022 third round and had traded for Cooks shortly before last year’s draft. Cooks is now on IR. Mingo profiles as more of a developmental piece compared to one that will immediately reignite the Cowboys like Cooper did following a 2018 in-season trade. Mingo has just 12 receptions for 121 yards this season. During a rookie season that featured Frank Reich being fired after 11 games, Mingo managed 43 catches for 418 yards. He does not yet have an NFL touchdown. Under the hood, The33rdTeam.com notes Mingo ranks either last or second-to-last in yards per route run and catch rate for players with 50 receptions since 2023.
Mingo will now join Tolbert and CeeDee Lamb in Dallas’ receiving corps. Carolina, meanwhile, has until 3pm CT today to decide on trading Thielen. It is also possible Thielen becomes a post-deadline release, though that is far from certain. The Panthers will retool around rookie first-rounder Xavier Legette and rookie UDFA Jalen Coker.
Cowboys Super Bowl bound woooooooooo
Fire yourself Jurrah
My initial reaction was “this is Jerry’s big upgrade?”
Then I thought about it for a second and if this is for a 6th or 7th, it’s really just a low-risk, high-reward move for a team who could really use a gamble that pays off. Mingo has talent, just hasn’t been able to put it together for whatever reason.
Also, in case people want to start telling me what the return is (as always happens on MLBTR when you post early), the return hasn’t been noted yet. It says “More to come…”
I read it was for a 4th
wtaf is Jerra thinking
If that’s true, yikes.
How is it that 100% of the fans will have this reaction yet Jerry and his football people actually believe this is a good trade.
7th and swapped 4th. If the season goes as it looks DAL will get the higher 4th.
A 4th rounder??? Wtf are you doing Jerry the cowboys suck this year.
Ravens get the better receiver and give up a worse pick. How does Jerry not see how terrible of a GM he is? 29 years..
@Erebus. That was a steep price. They definitely could’ve waited closer to deadline or heck even gotten thielen.
This doesn’t move the needle that’s the issue. Even with a fully healthy team the cowboys sucked this year. The problem is Jerry ALWAYS has to be in the news so he thought “let’s make a horrible trade, they’ll talk about me for weeks!”
Don’t care what anyone says Jerry Jones is the worst GM ever
Hahaha
You’re still complaining
Can’t tell if you’re a spoiled 4th grader or a butthurt 36 year old that lives in your mom’s basement and concocts Mcdoubles
Keyboard warrior at his finest muted because well he’s a pu$$y and only talks behind a computer screen
Nobody knows what you actually think on any subject here. You just went off on a random name calling tirade.
This is what ‘all in’ looks like?
Cowboys style…
A 4th rounder is pretty high given the market prices so far. Jerry must have been desperate
“ Mingo profiles as more of a developmental piece”
Desperate and stupid
@Erebus. Treylon burks would’ve made more sense. He has arkansas ties, and was a first rounder. He looks decent just gets hurt and he’s probably a 6th round pick
Interesting choice. Dude made big plays at ole miss but never caught on in panthers schemes
I thought dallas was in sell mode.
Not according to Grandmaster Jerry. Full buy mode
A 4th rounder when you might get 6 wins tops? This is Jerry being Jerry.
Carolina gets a pretty good draft compensation for someone who has not even lived up to his draft stock.
Jerry is giving Matt Millen vibes to me lately. Anyone else?
Good call!
I know everyone wants to trash the Cowboys–and I’ve certainly ragged on them a lot for how they’ve handled contracts and the running back position–but I think this is a nice buy low move. Mingo will probably never live up to his draft slot, but I also think he still has a lot more upside than he’s shown. He was never going to be ready to be a sophisticated receiver early in his career, but I think he could very well still turn into a starting receiver. Two and a half years of rookie contract at his talent and this price is well worth a look in my opinion. I like the move, even if it doesn’t make up for all the other moves the Cowboys have or haven’t made.
Considering the entire scenario in Dallas, for a WR who’s, at best WR4 or KR/PR, while you have a Black Hole Backfield and Blips in the Secondary … a 4th Rd pick is a massive overpay
I’m judging the move on its own terms. Those problems can be problems and this move can be worthwhile at the same time.
Oh I understood what you meant; I’m saying paying for a scooter when already have 3 motorcycles but only a solitary Prius in the garage …
I don’t think they have three motorcycles.
I intentionally didn’t use brands lol
Now they have a lot of broken motorcycles and a scooter that’s up on blocks. A fourth for a player his team gave up on during a down season makes zero sense. A very low value/high cost trade.
They traded a small amount of draft capital for two and a half rookie contract years for a guy who was a second round pick a year ago and who was stuck on a dysfunctional team.
I admire your optimism. However, it doesn’t seem to fit the Cowboys present needs. They look like a team that is going nowhere. If the intent is to move up in their division, this does not serve to move the needle at all. Dak is down and Mingo will have to function in a new offense the rest of the year as a developmental prospect. Who are the Cowboys getting to get run the football?
Is it Mingo? Carolina may be dysfunctional to you. However, Panthers fans thank the Cowboys for giving us a pick that may well be fairly high in the fourth round.
Carolina fired their head coach after only 11 games in Mingo’s rookie season after changing play callers repeatedly. Their dysfunction is not merely in my eyes. And again, it’s about seeing what they can get out of him over the next two and a half years when he’s got less than $7 million total in guarantees due. I don’t think the Cowboys are doing anything for right now at this point.
This is it!! The big acquisition that is going to make the Cowboys Super Bowl contenders! Once again Jerry has outsmarted the rest of the league and brought home the goods!!!
lol, yeah this will help
@rockhauler. Jerry probably thought they second round pick not 7th.
Poor Jerry…….tossing away assets for no reason other than he’s old and has enough $$$$ to piss away.
Dak is going to miss time so the response is to give up a 4th rounder for a developmental WR? I thought the season was over with the poor record, poor play and Dak injury.
I think the Panthers just got a good deal. That is going to be an early 4th round pick.
I’m amazed that the Panthers got a fourth round pick. Dan Morgan did a good job getting that pick for Mingo and a seventh.
Mingo just pawn in game of life…