The Cowboys surprising acquisition ahead of trade deadline leaves a wake of confusion.
With a 3-5 start and Dak heading to IR, those who hold America’s team close to the heart needed something to be hopeful about. In steps Uncle Jerry to lift their spirits. Ahead of the trade deadline, Owner/General Manager Jerry Jones stepped in front of a microphone and built up a potential acquisition on the horizon, uttering such phrases as “we will be in the mix,” “we will be buyers,” and “we are adding a receiver we like a lot.”
Having seen marquee WR names move this season gives a good indication of the market. Davante Adams was moved for a conditional 2025 third. Amari Cooper was moved for a 2025 third and a seventh. He was previously traded away by Uncle Jerry in 2022 for a fifth and a sixth-round swap. Diontae Johnson was moved along with a 2025 sixth, for a 2025 fifth.
In light of the market and Uncle Jerry’s pre-trade hype train, fans that were preparing for head-turning news were left scratching instead when the announcement came that sophomore player Jonathan Mingo was added to the team, along with a 2025 seventh-rounder, in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick.
It’s entirely possible that the Panthers organization was unable to unlock Mingo’s value. In Mingo’s defense, his QBR per target is 45.6, so he has had zero support in proving himself on the field. With some combination of Cooper Rush and Trey Lance throwing him the ball while Dak sits on IR nursing his hamstring injury, don’t expect much improvement in ball delivery in the near future.
Nothing we have seen on the field since Mingo’s NFL debut has indicated valuation remotely close to what the Cowboys just paid for him relative to the market. Uncle Jerry also failed to address the actual gaping hole in the Cowboys offensive structure: their running game. He had tremendous opportunities through free agency, the draft, and the trade deadline to balance the offense. This myopic misstep, in conjunction with the egregious misallocation of draft capital, should leave all Cowboys fans calling for Uncle Jerry to step down as General Manager.
Joe Prinzivalli | @latehottakes
