Latest news with #Mingo
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cowboys Trade for 2nd-Round Receiver Still Turning Heads
The Dallas Cowboys, now infamously, gave the San Francisco 49ers a fourth-round pick for quarterback Trey Lance in 2023, a move that didn't eventuate into anything substantial. Back then, it was seen as a "dart throw" for the Cowboys with the thought that if Trey turned into something tangible, that Dallas might be able to trade him away for a higher draft pick, or even have him as No. 2 on the depth chart. Advertisement But the thing was, Lance never really got the chance in live game situations to show what he could do, aside from a couple of preseason outings and the Week 18 loss to the Washington Commanders last year. Now, he's with the Los Angeles Chargers, as the dart throw experiment was a failure because that "dart" was never really thrown with any conviction. That brings us to the now, and if we look closely, the Cowboys could be about to repeat their Lance mistake with receiver Jonathan Mingo. How you say? Let's take a walk. Jonathan Mingo at Cowboys Practicevia Ed Werder In a similar fashion to Lance, the Cowboys flipped a fourth-round pick for Mingo as another dart throw, but given the state of the receiver room, it might mirror Lance's time in Dallas. Advertisement With Lamb as the No. 1, along with Jalen Tolbert and Jalen Brooks, both of whom have shown some flashes of their talents. Then there's Parris Campbell, who brings a speed element to the offense, plus KaVontae Turpin and Ryan Flournoy. And we haven't even mentioned the possibility of Dallas adding a No. 2 receiver like Courtland Sutton, Amari Cooper, or George Pickens yet, either. So that could be five players ahead of the 6-2, 220-pound Mingo. That means he could find genuine opportunities hard to come by unless he explodes to such an extent in training camp that the coaching staff has to give him snaps. So, for all the talk of team COO Stephen Jones liking the current crop of receivers, with former Panthers second-round pick Mingo mentioned, there could be a fair chance that he suffers the same fate as Lance did in Dallas. A dart throw that was never really given a chance. Related: The End of Deuce in Dallas? Related: Cowboys Tied to Signing Troubled Longhorns WR Isaiah Bond?
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cowboys Lottery Tickets in Dak Offense All Big What-Ifs
The NFL offseason is often filled with hope and optimism, and for the Dallas Cowboys, after a season that didn't have much, it is slowly returning to the fan base. However, it would definitely be back if the franchise addressed a glaring roster issue that, through free agency and the draft, seemed to be an afterthought - receiver. Advertisement But maybe, as Brian Schottenheimer said regarding the changing of the locker room, maybe there's a method to the madness. Granted, we can feel the skepticism, but with a receiver room of CeeDee Lamb or bust, it will be up to Jalen Tolbert and Jonathan Mingo to be Dak Prescott's other weapons. But as our own Cowboys insider Mike Fisher stated on the Fish Report in a positive "what-if" scenario, Dallas has taken flyers on a host of receivers this offseason, but they only need one of them to hit. 'They bought a lot of lottery tickets on receivers, I think they have 11 maybe 12 receivers on the roster, there's CeeDee Lamb, and then there's a bunch of guys,' Fish said on The Fish Report. 'In that group, Tolbert, Mingo, Ryan Flournoy, just what if, they only need one out of those guys [to step up]. They only need one, I think we've seen Tolbert's ceiling good or bad. All we've seen from Ryan Flournoy is gossip talk, all we've seen from Mingo is gossip talk. What if.' Gregory Fisher - Imagn Images Tolbert did show he is a capable No. 3 receiver last season, but most can agree that he isn't a No. 2 receiver. But what if he could be? Advertisement Jonathan Mingo, another lottery ticket the franchise traded a fourth-round pick for, hasn't shown he can be anything near a No. 2. But what if he could? Ryan Flournoy is on the same boat heading into Year 2. What if he could develop into something? As Fish stated, we know what Tolbert is, and there's nothing wrong with that. But Mingo and Flournoy, along with Jalen Brooks, are unknowns. Dak Prescott needs to be surrounded with better weapons, not a group of young players the front office "hopes" will develop into something. But what if this group of young receivers amounts to something substantial? Related: Cowboys $110 Million DJ Moore Trade Idea Faces 3 Major Truths Related: Cowboys Trade Rumor On Diggs To Chiefs?
New York Times
14-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Cowboys still have a WR need: 4 potential draft picks who could help them
Dak Prescott said he's getting close to being fully recovered from the season-ending hamstring injury he suffered at Atlanta in November. 'If I had to play a game today, I definitely could do that,' the Dallas Cowboys quarterback said Friday at the 35th annual Children's Cancer Fund gala at the Hilton Anatole Dallas. 'It's about moving forward healthy to make sure I can play 17-20 (games), whatever we get to when the time's right.' Dak Prescott: 'If I had to play a game today, I definitely could do that.' More from Dak on working his way back from a season-ending hamstring injury: — Jon Machota (@jonmachota) April 11, 2025 Regardless of the exact timetable of Prescott's return, upgrades are still needed at the skill positions around him. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones acknowledged as much two weeks ago at the annual league meeting in Florida. While he said they like their wide receiver room, he added that losing veteran Brandin Cooks in free agency has opened them up to 'looking at a really explosive No. 2 that could upgrade us.' Advertisement They have their obvious No. 1 in CeeDee Lamb. They're probably in good shape at numbers three though six, if they want to keep that many on the 53-man roster. But the No. 2 spot is the one that could be in play as early as the first round of next week's NFL Draft. 'CeeDee is an incredible player,' Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said at the league meeting when asked about No. 2 wide receiver. 'Always looking to add depth in that room. Really proud of Jalen Tolbert. Talked about him since the time we started talking about it two years ago when he was improving to now we talk about him as the leading receiver touchdown-wise on our team. 'Along with finding guys and adding more pieces, it's our job as a staff to be a developmental staff. We need to get these guys, like Ryan Flournoy, (Jonathan) Mingo to take the next step. We have to do that. That's our job. One of the things that we're working on right now is an improvement plan for each guy. … Between developing those guys on the roster and always looking under every corner to add some speed, some more playmaking skills, we're always looking to do that.' Tolbert is next on the depth chart behind Lamb, followed by some combination of Mingo, KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Brooks, Flournoy and recently signed Parris Campbell. The Cowboys are unlikely to keep more than six. Tolbert enters his fourth season having improved in each of his previous three. He led the team with seven touchdown receptions last year after only having two in his first two seasons. Mingo is a 2023 second-round pick that Dallas traded for in November. At 6-2, 220 pounds, he has good size for an outside receiver. The Cowboys believe he still has a lot of upside. 'We're really excited about the traits,' Schottenheimer said. 'But at the end of the day, when you look at Mingo, you can't evaluate him based on last year. You come in late like that, it's really, really hard. Here's a guy with a lot of talent, he's back right now training and lifting, I think he's going to do a hell of a job.' Turpin has an opportunity to have a bigger role in the offense in his fourth season. He doesn't have ideal size, but his speed is a weapon the Cowboys need to get more from beyond what he brings as a returner. Dak Prescott on Cowboys players stepping up as leaders — Jon Machota (@jonmachota) April 11, 2025 It would be a surprise if Lamb, Tolbert, Mingo and Turpin aren't four of the potential six. Add in a high-round draft pick and that probably only leaves one spot between Brooks, Flournoy and Campbell to battle for in training camp and preseason. Beyond Jones' recent comments about the No. 2 WR spot, the draft prospects who have been part of the Cowboys' top 30 national visits also show a strong consideration in taking a wide receiver with the 12th pick. Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan, Texas' Matthew Golden, Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka and Missouri's Luther Burden III are all considered first-round talents. They are ranked as the top four at the position in this class according to Dane Brugler, The Athletic's NFL Draft expert. Advertisement All four are a little different, so here's a brief breakdown of what the Cowboys could be getting if they decide to upgrade the wide receiver position with their first pick. • McMillan (6-4, 213 pounds): He's had 26 touchdown catches over the last three seasons while playing 78.1 percent of his college snaps on the outside. 'McMillan is only average in the speed and separation categories, but he is a long and limber athlete with exceptional tracking and ball-winning instincts,' Brugler wrote in 'The Beast,' his annual draft guide. 'He fits the Tee Higgins mold as a unique playmaker, because of his size and catch-point skills.' • Golden (5-11, 191 pounds): After starting his college career at Houston, Golden had his best season last year with the Longhorns, catching 58 passes for 987 yards and nine touchdowns. 'It might bother some teams that he doesn't have better size,' Brugler wrote, 'but Golden also doesn't have any glaring flaws to his game that would keep him from becoming a productive pro. He can play inside or outside and become the go-to target for an NFL offense.' • Egbuka (6-1, 201 pounds): He's had 24 touchdown catches over the previous three seasons with 10 coming this past year for the national champion Buckeyes. 'Egbuka is a very quarterback-friendly target — not because he is bigger, stronger or faster than defenders,' Brugler wrote, 'but because he understands detailed subtleties to uncover and command the catch point. Though he can line up outside, he would thrive in a Rashee Rice-like slot role, where he can expand a play-calling menu with his diverse skill set.' • Burden (6-0, 206 pounds): After recording 1,212 receiving yards and nine touchdowns two years ago, he finished with 676 yards and six touchdowns last season. 'Burden is still working on his undergrad degree in route setup and separation,' Brugler wrote, 'but he holds a master's in creating with the ball in his hands, because of his explosive speed and competitive toughness. For an NFL team targeting a (yards after catch) weapon with upside to be more, he will be an appealing option early.' Advertisement When combining the potential of those four with what the Cowboys currently have on their roster, McMillan seems like the best bet at No. 12, if he is still available. He could instantly improve Dallas in the red zone, giving Prescott a large target to dominate in the end zone like Dez Bryant did in his prime. While the others could end up having better careers, No. 12 seems a little rich for them. They might be better options if Dallas traded back a few spots. (Photo of Matthew Golden: Tim Warner / Getty Images)
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Could Texts Reduce Jailings? One Atlanta Suburb Says Yes.
Nate Mingo knew the havoc that missing a court date wreaked on the lives of residents in his suburban Atlanta community. He understood the prospect of a driver's license suspension or jail detention — and how either consequence could jeopardize one's employment and significantly worsen their legal troubles. As Riverdale's director of court services, Mingo also realized last year that his office had overlooked a potential safeguard that he hopes will reduce the prevalence of folks failing to appear in court: text message reminders. 'People tend to answer text messages before they open mail or listen to voicemail,' Mingo told Capital B Atlanta. 'I'll try to do anything that makes anything easier. … We just want people to come to court.' Riverdale began sending text messages in 2020 to alert people when they missed their court dates, but at the start of 2024, Mingo tweaked the process to incorporate reminders ahead of scheduled appearances, too. As a result, the Clayton County city is innovating its approach to criminal justice solutions in a way other Atlanta-area court systems — most of which still solely rely on postal correspondence with defendants — have not. Following the lead of cities like New York, which has long incorporated digital court reminders to reduce the number of missed court appearances, Riverdale seeks to do the same locally to keep members of its predominantly Black population out of the justice system while saving taxpayers money. 'There is no downside to trying to ensure that people are notified to come to court,' said Mingo, who has been working with Riverdale's court system since 2006. '[Failure to appear] could cost the person to lose their job, to lose their home because they're sitting in jail because they had a warrant that they may have legitimately forgotten about.' Alissa Fishbane, managing director of Ideas42, a nonprofit consulting firm that has helped employ court reminders in locales across the country, said their research indicates people experiencing hardships are most likely to miss court dates. 'It may be harder for them to arrange logistical things like transport or getting off of work,' Fishbane told Capital B Atlanta. 'On the other hand, because so much is going on in their life that requires their focus on that hardship, it even further exacerbates common tendencies like forgetting about an appointment.' Atlanta Municipal Court seems to recognize the severity of this issue. The court system recently announced a five-week amnesty program running through April 21 that would allow people who were issued a warrant after failing to appear for a traffic violation to avoid jail time. 'No matter how low the level of a citation you receive, if you miss court, you immediately start this process that can come with pretty severe consequences,' said Wade Askew, policy director of the Georgia Justice Project, a criminal justice advocacy group. Mingo said that since 2023, Riverdale has been using the communication management system eCourtDate to correspond with people who are due in court. The county consulted with Ideas42 to craft accessible wording in an attempt to make court proceedings feel less daunting. 'We wanted it to read as, 'Hey, we know you missed your court date. We know things happen. Just give us a call and we can reschedule it,'' Mingo said. 'We don't want people to be intimidated.' Inspired by the deluge of digital appointment reminders he'd receive from healthcare providers, Mingo moved to have Riverdale send these text alerts preemptively at the start of 2024 to jog people's memory about their upcoming day in court. Mingo said people receive a message two weeks before the court date, another at the seven-day mark, and one more three days in advance. 'People are used to receiving [text messages] and they can see them immediately, so they're more often opened and read than other [forms of contact],' Fishbane said. There are challenges, though. Mingo has found the biggest obstacle is ensuring that phone numbers are up to date, which is partially why Riverdale additionally sends notifications via email and first-class mail. While Mingo said there is not yet enough data to show that the change has made an impact, findings from New York City reveal that failures-to-appear dropped by 26% after the city launched a text-reminders program in 2017. Even if the reminders do not match that benchmark of efficacy, Mingo said it's a low-cost execution that costs the city $870 for every 10,000 text messages sent — less than 1 cent per message. By comparison, each failure-to-appear costs the taxpayer-funded court system about $1,500, according to Ideas42. 'That includes rescheduling hearings, issuing warrants, locating individuals, and possible jail time,' said Fishbane. Ideas42 adds that the average cost for an individual facing a failure-to-appear is around $1,400, including loss of income and additional fines. 'The benefit that we get kind of outweighs some of the costs,' Mingo said regarding Riverdale's text reminder program. Other Georgia cities have looked to text messaging as a solution to potentially reduce missed court dates. Athens-Clarke County's municipal court began sending text messages to notify people of upcoming court dates in 2020, while the municipal court in Montezuma — a rural Macon County town about two hours south of Atlanta — implemented their own program two years later. Mingo said a Clayton County official reached out to him recently to learn more about Riverdale's program. DeAndre Moore, chief clerk of Atlanta Municipal Court, told Capital B Atlanta via email that the court system is 'exploring the potential' of electronic court reminders after tallying 17,555 cases last year in which a defendant failed to appear. At Fulton County Jail, 2,342 people who failed to appear in court last year were incarcerated at the troubled facility, which was the subject of a Department of Justice report released last year that exposed conditions that violate detainees' civil and human rights. The vast majority of those detainees are Black. The Fulton County clerk of superior and magistrate courts declined to comment on whether the county would consider implementing a text reminder system. Fulton County courts and the Atlanta Municipal Court all have case management systems with the capability to send electronic reminders, according to Tyler Technologies and Catalis Court and Land Records, the companies that oversee the software of both systems, respectively. Mingo believes implementing a court date text reminder program is a no-brainer. 'When the technology exists and you're not doing it then the question becomes, well, why aren't you doing it?' he said. 'Are you trying to make people miss court?' The post Could Texts Reduce Jailings? One Atlanta Suburb Says Yes. appeared first on Capital B News - Atlanta.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Incoming Penn State basketball star named New York's Gatorade Player of the Year
Times may have been tough for the Penn State men's basketball program, but the future still has some glimmers of hope despite falling short of playing in a postseason tournament this season. The roster will be injecting some new life into it with the incoming recruiting class, which is now highlighted by New York's Gatorade Player of the Year. Kayden Mingo was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in New York on Thursday. Mingo is currently averaging 13.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game for Long Island Lutheran, one of the top basketball programs in the state. Mingo and Long Island Lutheran are currently preparing for postseason basketball tournaments. Mingo is the highest-rated recruit to commit to Penn State in program history. Mingo committed to the Nittany Lions in November 2024. The commitment was a major recruiting victory for head coach Mike Rhoades, who is putting together his first recruiting class in a full basketball recruiting cycle since his arrival at Penn State. Mingo will likely carry the torch from Ace Baldwin Jr., the first key addition to the roster for Rhoades via the transfer portal from VCU. Mingo could very well step into a key role on the court next season as Penn State looks to establish a foundation of sustained success. View this post on Instagram A post shared by MINGO. (@_kaydenmingo) Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads. This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State commit Kayden Mingo named Gatorade Player of the Year-NY
