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Cowboys Fans Fuming Over Deebo vs. Mingo

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Landon Holifield | Last updated Mar 4, 2025 5:19 PM ET

In a move that was anticipated for some time, the San Francisco 49ers traded star wide receiver Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders for a fith-round pick, a decision that has in theory shifted the balance in the NFC East.

The Commanders' acquisition of one of the league's most dynamic playmakers for just a fifth-round pick seems like a steal, especially when viewed from a Dallas perspective ...

Considering the Cowboys’ recent history of moving fourth-round picks for lesser talents.

Midway through the 2024 season, Dallas traded a fourth-round pick to acquire Jonathan Mingo: a promising but unproven talent.

Based on that, at first glance, Cowboys fans were baffled by what seemed like a significant disparity in trade value, especially after seeing Washington land Samuel for less draft capital.

This feeling of course was compounded by the fact that many had mocked Cowboys owner Jerry Jones for moving a fourth-round pick to acquire Trey Lance just a year prior.

On the whole, before jumping to conclusions about trade value, it’s critical to consider the financial side, too. While Mingo costs only $1.5 million against the Cowboys' salary cap, Samuel comes with a hefty $17.46 million cap hit for the Commanders.

The Washington Commanders gave up way more than just a 5th round pick for Deebo Samuel’s services.

His seemingly minimal draft compensation is a result of his relatively expensive contract value.

Jonathan Mingo & Deebo Samuel are not ’s to ’s trade comps pic.twitter.com/38965ej4g0
— Landon Holifield ✭ (@TheLandoShow) March 3, 2025

Trade compensation is almost always multifaceted. It's more than just draft picks—it’s about the financial commitment a team is willing to take on, because... you know, cap hell doesn't exist. - but budgeting does.

Washington may have given up less in terms of draft capital, but they’re taking on far more in salary cap space.

Cowboys fans are fuming over this, and understandably so if we're to make this a debate about "Deebo vs. Mingo.''

In the end, though, while it may seem like a win for the Commanders on the surface (they did improve their roster, something Mingo hasn't done here), a deeper dive into the salary cap implications paints a more complex picture, making the trade far from an apples-to-apples comparison.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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