Reviewing Panthers’ two trades involving Diontae Johnson

The Panthers have now traded for Diontae Johnson and traded him away.

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 29: Diontae Johnson #5 of the Carolina Panthers makes a catch against the Cincinnati Bengals during the game at Bank of America Stadium on September 29, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. / (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

The Carolina Panthers have officially called time on the Diontae Johnson era. After trading for him in the offseason, they have already traded him away. When the Panthers got off to a bad start, this was always a possibility since Johnson is an expiring contract. Now, it's a reality.

Reviewing the deals Carolina made for Diontae Johnson

During the offseason, the Panthers made one of the more underrated trades. They got a bona fide top wide receiver to pair with their young players on offense. It gave Bryce Young a weapon. All they had to do was swap late picks (the Panthers' seventh went to Pittsburgh for the Steelers' sixth) and attach an expiring contract of their own in the inconsistent and often frustrating Donte Jackson.

That was a good move. It was cheap and it provided a good player and got rid of a mediocre one. But now, the Panthers have dealt Johnson out of town. Ironically, he ends up back in the AFC North with the Baltimore Ravens. This was a necessary move for the team to rebuild, but it's far from a good one.

The Panthers attached a sixth-round pick to Johnson, who struggled with injuries but was mostly productive on the field, in exchange for a fifth-round pick from the Ravens. All told, the Panthers have swapped a seventh-round pick, sixth-round pick, and Donte Jackson for a sixth-round and fifth-round pick. It's not ideal given the receiver market could have yielded a better return for Johnson.

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