Just in: Panthers GM Dan Morgan Explains Jonathan Mingo Trade
Long after we depart from this earth and NFL games are being played in primetime from locations such as the moon or Mars, pundits will still be discussing the calamitous 2023 NFL Draft that the Carolina Panthers put together. At the heart of the calamity was the selection of Jonathan Mingo in the second round, a wide receiver that was never able to put it together in his brief stint with the Panthers.
Mingo, an Ole Miss product, boasts career totals of 55 catches, 539 receiving yards, and zero touchdowns. What would be a disappointing month for elite receivers like Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase is a 24 game sample size for Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys newest weapon. Panthers general manager Dan Morgan spoke on the trade during Wednesday’s media availabilty.
Morgan: It was a “win-win” for both teams
Here are Morgan’s full comments on the trade: “He’s (Mingo) a great player, a still developing player. I thought it was a good deal between us and Dallas. They get a young player that they can grow and develop, and we get a draft pick that we’re happy with. It was a win-win for both sides.”
Mingo had been squeezed out of the Panthers receiving rotation in recent weeks by upstart rookie Jalen Coker and first-round selection Xavier Legette. In Carolina’s most recent contest against the New Orleans Saints, Mingo played 28% of snaps (15 total), a dramatic fall-off from early in 2024 when he was consistently logging burn on 60% or more of the Panthers plays. Morgan was asked about how much the trade of Mingo to Dallas (for a fourth-round pick in return) was due to the ascension of players like Coker and Legette.