Although the vibes have improved following a feel-good upset win in Week 9, the 2-7 Carolina Panthers decided to offload one of their players on Tuesday.
Second-year wideout Jonathan Mingo was shipped away to the Dallas Cowboys ahead of the league’s trade deadline this afternoon. Mingo, the second receiver to be traded by Carolina over the last week, and a 2025 seventh-round pick will head to Dallas in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick.
A second-round selection in the 2023 NFL draft, Mingo has yet to score a touchdown in his pro career. He tallied 43 catches for 418 yards in his rookie campaign and has dropped off in his second, as he’s totaled 12 catches for 121 yards in an increasingly decreased role.
Mingo’s work over his first two seasons has been inconsistent, as the former Ole Miss standout has fallen short of expectations. Despite having an intriguing athletic profile—he’s struggled with situational and spatial awareness and never carved out a distinct role in Carolina.
Trading Mingo is an indication that general manager and president of football operations Dan Morgan is trying to move away from the underperforming players his predecessor, Scott Fitterer, brought in. This is a clear sign the front office is doing its best to establish its own culture and viability when it comes to building its roster.
Unfortunately, Mingo was one of Fitterer’s underperforming investments. Per the 33rd Team, he averaged 0.75 yards per route run—which ranks dead-last (526th out of 526) amongst wide receivers since 2000.
Morgan’s refreshed vision will seemingly include rookie wide receivers Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker, both of whom had overtaken Mingo in the pecking order. The former has scored four touchdowns over the last six weeks while the latter has emerged as a reliable and versatile option.
So now, the Panthers can continue to focus in on the development of the worthwhile youngsters. In addition to Legette and Coker, the remaining weeks of the 2024 season should give the organization more looks at quarterback Bryce Young and rookie running back Jonathon Brooks.
The process goes on.
