Davante Adams and Amari Cooper have new homes, which means wide receiver Diontae Johnson is the top receiver left on the trade market. A third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Toledo product established himself as a legitimate WR1 over the past six seasons. Despite catching passes from the underwhelming collection of Mason Rudolph, a washed-up Ben Roethlisberger, Kenny Pickett, Bryce Young, and Andy Dalton, Johnson has averaged 86 receptions for 963 yards and six touchdowns per season since entering the league.
Diontae Johnson has stepped up his game since Dalton took over for Young, but that’s not enough to save him from the trade block. Now 1-5 after six weeks, the Panthers must embrace a rebuild and start looking towards the future. Johnson will become a free agent at the end of the season, and the value of 11 games in a lost season pales compared to the value of a draft pick. Based on the returns for Adams and Cooper, the Panthers could probably get a third-round pick for Johnson, and they’d be foolish not to pull the trigger on that type of deal. This is a steep price, but teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints might have no choice but to meet that asking price.
Trade Price For Panthers Diontae Johnson Could Surge, Will Teams Meet It?
The Kansas City Chiefs are one of the most interesting teams to monitor as the trade deadline approaches. On the one hand, the organization is 5-0 and has proven they can win games without executing a trade for a big-name player like Diontae Johnson. On the other hand, they’re not as good as their record indicates, as their only convincing victory came against an injury-riddled Saints team. Patrick Mahomes and company should win the AFC West comfortably, but they could use more offensive firepower as they try to win their third Super Bowl in as many seasons.
The only question is how much the Chiefs will give up for a wide receiver. Reports indicate that Kansas City is monitoring the wide receiver trade market, but they weren’t willing to outbid the rival Buffalo Bills for Amari Cooper. The supply of good receivers on the trade block does not meet the demand, so Kansas City must pay up if they want someone like Diontae Johnson. However, if they decide that Travis Kelce and first-round pick Xavier Worthy can carry the offense, perhaps they send a late-round pick for a depth player like Darius Slayton.
Desperate Saints Look For Divisional Help
After charging out of the gate with two dominant wins, the New Orleans Saints battled through an absurd amount of injuries to enter Week 7 with a 2-4 record. With almost every position on both sides of the ball battling ailments, some teams would accept that this isn’t their year and sell at the deadline. However, the Saints are not most teams. General manager Mickey Loomis has demonstrated time and time again that he will not enter a rebuild, and head coach Dennis Allen could lose his job if this team doesn’t make the playoffs. With this in mind, don’t be surprised if the Saints try and trade for Diontae Johnson to make life easier for fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler.
Once again, we must ask ourselves if the Panthers would ever trade a talented playmaker like Diontae Johnson to a division rival. Even though Johnson isn’t in Carolina’s long-term plans, they know he can play effectively, and nobody wants to make a division rival better. However, New Orleans is desperate, and if they’re offering the best trade package, the Panthers might have no choice but to accept.
Main Photo: Jim Dedmon – USA Today Sports
