10/29/24 02:16:00
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10/29 14:14 CDT Panthers send WR Diontae Johnson, 6th-round pick to Ravens, get
back 5th-rounder, AP source says
Panthers send WR Diontae Johnson, 6th-round pick to Ravens, get back
5th-rounder, AP source says
By STEVE REED
AP Sports Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) --- The Carolina Panthers have traded wide receiver
Diontae Johnson and a sixth-round pick in 2025 to Baltimore for the Ravens'
2025 fifth-rounder, according to a person familiar with the situation.
The person spoke To the Associated Press on Tuesday on condition of anonymity
because the trade has not been made official.
Johnson had been Carolina's leading wide receiver since being acquired in an
offseason trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers for cornerback Donte Jackson.
Johnson has 30 receptions for 357 yards and three touchdowns for Carolina, but
did not play in Sunday's 28-14 loss to the Denver Broncos because of a rib
injury.
Johnson was set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson is having the best passing season of his career for
the Ravens, with a 115.4 rating and 2,099 yards passing. He's thrown 17
touchdown passes with only two interceptions.
Johnson now joins second-year wide receiver Zay Flowers and 24-year-old Rashod
Bateman --- plus a handful of capable tight ends --- among Jackson's options.
However, it's the defense that threatens to hold the Ravens back.
Baltimore allowed 401 yards in a loss to Cleveland on Sunday that left the
Ravens (5-3) a game behind Pittsburgh in the AFC North. So even after acquiring
Johnson, Baltimore may not be done dealing before the trade deadline.
The Panthers (1-7) are likely in selling mode with the season slipping away and
eager to improve their draft positioning for next season.
The 28-year-old Johnson's best season came in 2021 when he caught 107 passes
for 1,161 yards with eight touchdowns for the Steelers.
But he hasn't quite returned to that level of production.
He followed that season up with 86 catches for 882 yards in 2022, and his
numbers fell off last year as the Steelers shifted the focus of their passing
game to young wide receiver George Pickens. Johnson finished with a career-low
51 catches for 717 yards along with five TDs in 2023.
Johnson had previously said that he wanted to remain with the Panthers after
trade rumors began to swirl around him earlier this season, adding that he was
happy catching passes from veteran quarterback Andy Dalton.
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AP Sports Writer Noah Trister contributed to this report.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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