NFL insider says teams 'floored' by how little Panthers got in Diontae Johnson trade

Jonathan Jones at CBS Sports reports his sources were floored by the lack of compensation for Carolina.

Tim Weaver | Nov 3, 2024

Oct 13, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (5) reacts after making a catch in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

Last week the Carolina Panthers pulled off the most shocking trade in the NFL yet this season. Not that the move itself was shocking - everyone and their mother were expecting Diontae Johnson to get dealt before the trade deadline. No, the real stunner was how little the Panthers received from the Baltimore Ravens as part of the deal.

If you thought sending a sixth-round pick and paying pretty much all of Johnson's salary the rest of the season and only getting a fifth back was a terrible return, you weren't alone. Apparently, a lot of folks around the NFL were surprised at the compensation. According to Jonathan Jones at CBS Sports, his sources around the league were "floored."

CBS on Diontae Johnson trade reaction

"Sources across the NFL were floored by thefor wide receiver Diontae Johnson... Usually teams get a higher draft pick by "buying" the contract, or a lower one by passing the contract along to the next team. In this case, the 1-7 Panthers got what may be a 10-12 pick improvement on Day 3 of the 2025 draft while also paying Johnson's salary to go to Baltimore. Though there had been previously reported communication issues between Johnson and the team, the return was lower than expected. It was by far the lowest compensation of the four big-name receivs traded before the deadline."

The Cleveland Browns and the obscene contract they gave Deshaun Watson gave the Panthers some cover for a while, but now there's nothing to hide the unfortunate fact that this is the least-successful and arguably most-dysfunctional organization in the league. And it's exactly because they continue making moves like the Diontae Johnson trade that keep digging them deeper into the hole.