Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after the Ravens’ trade for Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson on Tuesday ahead of next week’s deadline:
Brian Wacker, reporter: On one hand, this is a shrewd move. Johnson is a solid wide receiver who is one of the league’s best separators and gives quarterback Lamar Jackson and an already high-powered offense yet another player defenses have to worry about as their greatest strength gets even stronger. It also cost the Ravens very, very little, especially since they’ll have a compensatory fifth-round draft pick to replace the fifth-rounder they sent the Panthers. On the other, it doesn’t (at least not yet) address their defensive woes, and there’s the issue of there being only one football to spread amongst many offensive weapons. Still, there’s little not to like about this deal and there should be only upside to it.
Childs Walker, reporter: This wasn’t the move we expected from a team that already leads the league in passing efficiency. The Ravens need players who can break up deep balls more than they need another guy who can catch them. That said, Johnson has been a durable, productive receiver throughout his six-year career, and he’ll give Lamar Jackson another target who can punish blitzes and make plays in the red zone. The Ravens didn’t give up much to get him and better yet, they kept Johnson away from AFC rivals that might immediately plug him in as a starter. Jackson will have a lot of hands to feed, and this could lead to renewed questions about the size of Rashod Bateman’s role. But it’s a low-downside addition.
Sam Cohn, reporter: That’s a good deal considering the Ravens gave up next to nothing to add a former Pro Bowl receiver and the Panthers are paying most of his salary. He’s 28 years old and has caught 30 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns in seven games this season. Johnson only adds to what this team continually refers to as a “pick your poison” offense. That being said, the trade deadline is still a week away and it’s hard to imagine this being Baltimore’s lone move considering its floundering defense.
Bennett Conlin, editor: Can Johnson play defensive back? If not, the trade isn’t a major needle-mover for Baltimore’s biggest need, but it does add to a high-powered offense. On a 1-10 scale considering only entertainment value, this hits close to a 10, though. The Ravens lead the NFL in passing efficiency, and now they’ve added a receiver to complement Zay Flowers and tight end Mark Andrews. This should only make Baltimore’s exhilarating offense even more enjoyable for fans. The move could mean fewer targets for Rashod Bateman, who dropped a pass off his face mask in Sunday’s loss to the Browns but has otherwise been solid this season.
C.J. Doon, editor: If you ranked the Ravens’ needs entering this trade deadline, wide receiver would have been behind pass rusher, cornerback and safety. There are already enough mouths to feed with Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, and the Ravens’ passing offense hasn’t exactly been struggling with Lamar Jackson enjoying another MVP-level season. But, man, adding Diontae Johnson to the mix gives the Ravens’ offense yet another playmaker defenses need to account for in this “pick-your-poison” attack. Nelson Agholor has been a productive and valuable veteran presence on this team for two seasons, but he simply doesn’t have the same juice running routes and picking up yards after the catch as Johnson, who is an elite separator down the field as measured by ESPN’s Open Score.
I doubt general manager Eric DeCosta is done looking for help before next Tuesday’s deadline given the state of the defense. But perhaps the best defense this season is a great offense. It’s hard to envision many teams — even the Chiefs, Bills and Texans, who just lost Stefon Diggs for the season with a torn ACL — being able to outscore the Ravens in the postseason when they’re firing on all cylinders. Keeping Johnson from going to one of those teams (or even the wide receiver-needy Pittsburgh Steelers) is also a huge benefit for Baltimore. And when you consider the cost — just a fifth-round pick while also getting what should be an early sixth-round pick from lowly Carolina — this was a no-brainer. Well done.
Originally Published: October 29, 2024 at 2:48 PM EDT