DALLAS — Former Dallas Cowboys scout Bryan Broaddus said he would leave undrafted rookie receiver Camden Brown off the 53-man roster, and that Jonathan Mingo is the better special teams player of the two.
Broaddus made the case on Trust the Tape, a YouTube show with Jeff Cavanaugh. Dallas signed Brown after the 2026 draft on a three-year deal worth $3 million.
Broaddus said he could find another Camden Brown, and that backup defensive tackles are harder to find.
“Listen, folks, I hate to say this about your beloved Brown. Mingo’s a better special teams player,” Broaddus said. “When he dresses, they’re going to need him to play special teams. The thing that Brown can do is he can contort, he can catch the football. Those are good things he could do. He doesn’t have speed, he’s not explosive, but he can catch the football. That’s what he does.”
Camden Brown Has Two Touchdowns And A 70-Yard Catch This Preseason
Brown caught touchdown passes from both Joe Milton III and Sam Howell in the preseason opener at Seattle on Aug. 15, a 2-yard score and a 39-yard score in a 17-7 win. He added a 70-yard catch and run from Milton against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday. Brown has 5 receptions for 139 yards through two games.
Brown spent three seasons at Auburn and caught 26 passes for 289 yards and 3 touchdowns there. He transferred to Georgia Southern for 2025 and finished with 65 receptions for 1,079 yards and 14 touchdowns, the most receiving scores in the FBS. He was named Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year.
Mingo Is Competing For The Same Spot
Carolina drafted Mingo 39th overall in 2023 and traded him to Dallas in November 2024. He has 61 receptions for 610 yards in three seasons. Mingo caught a 53-yard touchdown from Milton against Arizona and played seven snaps on special teams in that game.
Dallas carries 13 receivers on the training camp roster. CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and KaVontae Turpin are locks. Marquez Valdes-Scantling signed on April 27 and is the most experienced receiver on the roster. Ryan Flournoy, Traeshon Holden, Denzel Mims, seventh-round pick Anthony Smith, Jaden Smith, Tyler Johnson, and Jordan Hudson fill out the group with Brown and Mingo.
Jeff Cavanaugh Would Keep Both
A viewer asked why Dallas cannot treat Turpin the way it treated C.J. Goodwin, who spent years on the roster as a special teams player rather than a cornerback. Goodwin is no longer with the team. Markquese Bell has taken over as the core special teams piece under coordinator Nick Sorensen, and Bell signed a three-year extension worth $9 million in 2025.
“Technically, C.J. Goodwin hadn’t been listed at corner like his last four years. He used to be, and then they just stopped even pretending that he had a position. He started just being listed as a special teamer. And Turpin will play wide receiver,” Cavanaugh said.
“So if you’re keeping both Mingo and Camden Brown, even if somebody got hurt and you needed a new third actual receiver, because Turpin’s role would stay the same, you’d still be choosing between Camden Brown and Mingo for those spots,” Cavanaugh continued. “So basically they both have to play a butt ton of special teams to have a chance for them both to make it. And we’ve seen Mingo make special team plays in the preseason. So yeah, that’s one that I think I’ll project to keep them both.”
Turpin caught 26 passes for 396 yards last season. He also led the NFL with 1,814 kick return yards, the second-highest total in a season in league history.
Dallas closes the preseason at home against the New Orleans Saints on Friday. Teams must reach 53 players by Sunday at 5 p.m. CT.
