Entering the NFL trade deadline in third place of the NFC East at 3-5, no one would have blamed the Dallas Cowboys for being sellers. As if they weren’t already behind the eight-ball, Dak Prescott’s injury will surely put the nail in the Cowboys’ coffin.
Yet, instead of trying to trade expiring contracts and other aging veterans, the Cowboys did the opposite and became buyers instead. But no one seems to think what Dallas did was wise.
Related: 1 bold prediction for every game in NFL Week 10, including what happens with the Dallas Cowboys
Everyone thinks Dallas Cowboys overpaid in Jonathan Mingo trade
The 2024 NFL trade deadline was fairly quiet for the Dallas Cowboys. The only move they made was trading a fourth-round pick for receiver Jonathan Mingo and a seventh-round pick.
NFL fans who haven’t heard of Mingo are excused. He has just 539 yards and zero touchdowns in his career, which started after becoming the 39th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers.
Related: Best NFL free agents available at every position after the trade deadline
Mingo was good enough at Ole Miss to become a second-round pick, but the 23-year-old hasn’t been able to establish himself as a consistent starter despite being on a WR-needy Panthers team. Now, he gets a fresh start in Dallas, but why did Carolina move on so quickly from a player they just drafted a year ago? That alone should raise some red flags.
But more so, NFL analysts just can’t understand why the Cowboys parted with a fourth-round pick for a player whose stock has cratered since leaving Ole Miss.
“One thing that was pretty unanimous among NFL folks I talked to Tuesday: Dallas overpaid for Jonathan Mingo. In case you missed it, the Cowboys gave up a fourth-rounder for Mingo and a seventh-rounder.”
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer on Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys gave up more to get Jonathan Mingo than the Kansas City Chiefs did to get DeAndre Hopkins. Lord have mercy.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) November 5, 2024
While Mingo has plenty of upside, now it’s up to the Cowboys to help him reach his ceiling. If not, this will just be the latest mistake that Dallas’ front office has made, which only looks worse and worse, each time they come up short in the playoffs.
