NFL trade deadline proposals send Panthers WR, RB to dueling NFC East rivals

Matt Alquiza | Oct 18, 2024

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Carolina Panthers

The 2023 NFL offseason set the Carolina Panthers back further than anybody could have expected. It started with the hiring of Frank Reich (fired after 11 games), continued with the drafting of Bryce Young (benched after 18 starts) and Jonathan Mingo (ceding snaps to undrafted rookie Jalen Coker in 2024), and was punctuated by signing former Pro Bowl running back Miles Sanders (who has failed to live up to the expectations that the four year, $25 million deal he signed slapped on him). Four swings. Four misses.

As the NFL trade deadline nears, the proverbial stove at the Panthers facility in uptown Charlotte will continue to heat up. Speculation will run rampant about potential Bryce Young trades over the next few weeks, although it is ultimately unlikely that Carolina will move on from their assumed franchise cornerstone so quickly. More realistic Panthers trade deadline action will involve players like Mingo and Sanders. And according to CBS Sports, the Panthers should deal both of them.

A potential Miles Sanders trade

Cody Benjamin believes that Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys should come calling for Miles Sanders. Recent calls from Jerry Jones have been all over the news, but this instance should be more amicable than the one that occurred earlier this week. Here's Benjamin's reasoning behind the proposed swap: "Jerry Jones didn't want to pay for Derrick Henry so he might require Carolina to eat some of Sanders' deal. But the former Eagles standout would at least give Dak Prescott more proven run support."

The Dallas Cowboys sport the league's worst rushing attack. The anemic ground game in Dallas has been band-aided together by Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott, and Sanders is a clear upgrade over the Cowboys' dusty duo. The price on Sanders shouldn't be more than a late round pick, and if Jones is serious about bringing a championship-contender to the Lone Star State anytime soon, he should make a move to shore up his franchise's running back room.

Jonathan Mingo makes a move north

What do me, you, Jonathan Mingo, and Sabrina Carpenter all have in common? We've never scored a touchdown in the NFL.

Through a season and a half of his career, Jonathan Mingo has failed to produce numbers that match his lofty draft billing. He's a talented receiver, but that talent will be best suited to flourish elsewhere. As the Carolina Panthers offense has ascended under Andy Dalton's leadership, Mingo's role had diminished; greener pastures await the sophomore wide out from Ole Miss. Benjamin believes those pastures are in the District of Columbia where he could reunite with the general manager that drafted him.

Here's Benjamin's take: "Former Panthers eneral manager Scott Fitterer drafted Mingo in 2023. A year later, he might be able to reunite with the big target for a later-round pick, giving Jayden Daniels added depth out wide."

The Commanders' offense has been humming even though Terry McLaurin is a one-man army in their receiving room. The lack of target competition that Mingo would face in Washington could be the key to resurrecting his once promising career.