Post-trade deadline thoughts: Panthers GM makes up for Johnson trade with Mingo swap
Give Dan Morgan credit.
In what was largely a buyer’s market ahead of the NFL trade deadline, the first-year Carolina Panthers general manager was able to swing a trade on Tuesday with longtime Dallas Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones for 2023 second-round pick Jonathan Mingo via a pick swap that — on paper — clearly favors the Charlotte-based franchise in return value.
Morgan was part of the front office that drafted Mingo at the top of Day 2’s slate in April of last year. But he didn’t have the say that he does now. Over the past two months, he watched as Mingo was buried down deep within first-year head coach Dave Canales’ wide receiver depth chart and acted accordingly.
Sure, the Panthers traded a second-round pick from a year ago (along with a seventh-round pick) for a 2025 fourth-round pick. But when you study Mingo’s production during his 24 games with the franchise (559 scoreless yards off 55 catches), it’s easy to see why the promoted exec would view this swap as a boon over a bust.
Yes, the Panthers got the NFL equivalent of a warm RC Cola for former Pro Bowl wideout Diontae Johnson just a week ago. But at least with the Mingo trade, the Panthers look like they won’t be perennial losers within trade negotiations.
Mingo wasn’t given away — he was turned into an enhanced, cost-controlled asset for the future.
Here are three thoughts on the Panthers following the trade deadline:
Mingo’s trade return highlights what’s not been said about Johnson swap
It’s important to consider the context of why Mingo was significantly more appealing on the trade market than Johnson when judging the return for both players.
Johnson is in the final year of his deal, he’s going to want to be paid in free agency, and he has a history of locker room drama dating back to his time in Pittsburgh. Johnson produced efficiently during his time with the Panthers when Andy Dalton was the starting quarterback, collecting 25 catches for 323 yards and 3 touchdowns in those five games.
However, it’s important to note that when he has played with mediocre QBs — including 5 catches for 25 yards in two games with Young — he’s done little to boost passers’ stocks. He also, before being traded to the Ravens, used the cliched and dreaded “I can’t play every position on the field and make every play” line that likely went over in the locker room like tuna fish on an airplane.
Plus, the acquiring team, the Ravens, likely view him as their fourth or fifth best option in the passing game for QB Lamar Jackson. Johnson wasn’t targeted in 17 offensive snaps during his debut game with the Ravens — a 41-10 blowout win against the Denver Broncos.
With Mingo, the slate is relatively unexplored. A GM — and owner, like Jones — could sit back and say that Mingo failed because the Panthers are perennial laughingstock fodder. Jones, who also scouted Mingo as recently as last year, likely valued Mingo’s draft pedigree and upside still.
At 23, Mingo, while largely unproductive in Carolina, still has untapped potential worth exploring if you think coaching and the Panthers’ ecosystem failed him in his first stop. Remember, he’s played most of his career games with QB Bryce Young, who has also struggled mightily in his first two seasons. Mingo is also cost controlled on his rookie contract for the next two and a half seasons, a notable wrinkle with well-paid players like QB Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb on the Cowboys’ payroll.
There’s also something clearly lingering under the surface when it comes to Johnson’s outlook. The Panthers couldn’t wait to rid him from the locker room, despite most of his teammates praising him on the way out the door. For what it’s worth, those kudos didn’t feel forced or misleading, so the issue likely lies above the roster.
Canales has passed on explaining what happened between the Panthers and Johnson to make him so necessary to trade a week before the deadline. But the league clearly did its research, and the Ravens pounced as a shrewd organization that is willing to take the risk because of their consistent infrastructure.
Still, the Panthers fleeced the Cowboys in logic
The Cowboys are 3-5 and just put Prescott, the franchise QB, on injured reserve, where he will be parked for at least four weeks. Lamb is also battling a shoulder injury, and Dallas is preparing to spend the next month trotting out the likes of Cooper Rush and/or Trey Lance onto the field against the Philadelphia Eagles (6-2), Houston Texans (6-3), Washington Commanders (7-2), and New York Giants (2-7).
Philadelphia and Washington have notable division leads over the Cowboys heading into the midway point, and yet, Dallas still traded future compensation for a player who isn’t likely to change its trajectory.
Meanwhile, the Panthers know what they are at 2-7.
This isn’t a redeemable roster, at least from the standpoint of trying to make a playoff run. The Panthers, though, have developed a pair of rookie wideouts, Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker, who should be playing darn near every snap for the rest of the season, if healthy. Veteran Adam Thielen, also known as Young’s go-to guy, is also about to return from injured reserve after battling through a hamstring injury. Plus, Canales seems to have an affinity for journeyman veteran David Moore and practice-squad speedster Deven Thompkins.
There was no room for Mingo despite his status as a recent Day 2 pick. He had caught just one pass for one yard in his final 16 quarters with the franchise. And while he performed admirably as a blocker and special teams contributor over the past month, that wasn’t enough to warrant him being a holdover if the Panthers could get something for him. A sixth-round pick might have sufficed, but instead, the Panthers moved up three rounds on Day 3 (seventh to fourth round) and opened up playing time for the head coach’s guys.
That’s practical and potential value tied into one trade. It’s an approach that smart franchises tend to lean toward.
The trade won’t suddenly make the Panthers a winning franchise or even put Morgan in the running for free beers in Munich (though, I’d think he could charge them on the team’s tab), but it does make up for the projected lost returns of the Johnson deal, which left a lot to be desired.
Canales is trying to build a long-term culture. Morgan is trying to facilitate the construction of a team that fits his shared vision with Canales. Mingo and Johnson didn’t have futures in Carolina, but the Panthers now have future improved assets because of their respective return values
What becomes of Miles Sanders?
The Panthers didn’t have as much luck with running back Miles Sanders as they did with Mingo. That’s largely because of Sanders’ age, recent production and cost at a position that has been largely devalued by the league.
Wide receiver is a premium position and running back is seen as a largely replaceable part of a roster — similar to an air filter in a three-bedroom condo — if you have a strong offense (or a head coach with an incredible hubris).
So, Sanders is still in Charlotte.
The Panthers also have a major decision to make on second-round pick, rookie running back Jonathon Brooks, who is expected to be activated at some point on Wednesday from the non-football injury list. Once Brooks (ACL) is ready to go — presuming he plays immediately in Munich, Germany — it’s hard to see the Panthers having a lot of carries to pass around.
Chuba Hubbard is the gift that keeps on giving in the Panthers’ backfield, and getting away from his hot hands would be asinine at this point. Hubbard entered Week 10 with the fifth-highest rushing yards total (665) in the league. He has already matched his single-season career-high in rushing touchdowns (5) as well.
So, Sanders would need to split his already limited touches with Brooks, who has a comparable skill set. Sanders is averaging just 19.7 snaps and 6.3 touches per game. Split two ways, that’d be a pretty expensive sliver of playing time.
But the Panthers guaranteed Sanders’ $4 million salary for this season when they signed him to a four-year deal last year. They’re going to be paying him regardless of if he’s on the roster or not, unless they go behind door No. 3 and get an anxious team pounce on the waiver wire.
Following the trade deadline, all players are subject to the waiver wire if cut. If the Panthers waive Sanders, his contract will go out to the highest bidder on the waiver wire. If a running back-needy team claims Sanders, they’ll be stuck with the bill — though, they won’t need to give up any trade compensation in return. That outlook is probably why the Panthers found limited (or no) bidders on the trade market.
The rest of the league is likely banking on the idea that Brooks will be activated, Sanders will be waived, and claims will be put in to house the veteran playmaker for the rest of the campaign.
Sanders doesn’t have any guaranteed money on his contract next year, so the potential new team could cut him in the offseason or renegotiate his contract if he bounces back in a new setting.
The Panthers have an important choice to make with Sanders, but the right answer seems fairly clear if Brooks is ready to run (and catch).
This story was originally published November 6, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
