3 Diontae Johnson trades to free Panthers WR from futile situation in contract year

The Carolina Panthers look borderline competent with Andy Dalton under center, but there is still a pretty clear gap between Carolina and the rest of the NFC South. That is a competitive division with a single negative outlier and there's no reason for the Panthers to pretend like they're in the running for anything other than the No. 1 draft pick next April.

That means, in theory, Carolina is open for business. That front office has been a mess under the stewardship of David Tepper and Panthers ownership, but the right trade can help Carolina stockpile assets for the future. One has to imagine the Panthers will target their next QB in the 2025 draft, officially cutting bait with Bryce Young and finally giving the franchise some direction.

Until then, the goal should be to maximize flexibility for next offseason, when Carolina needs to beef up the roster and put its next quarterback in a better position to succeed. There are several holes in need of plugging, but now is the time to liquidate and maximize long-term maneuverability over short-term investments.

That means Carolina needs to start floating Diontae Johnson to WR-needy teams, of which there are plenty. The 28-year-old arrived via offseason trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers and, after a quiet first couple weeks, he has exploded with Dalton under center. Johnson has 15 catches for 205 yards and two touchdowns over the last two games, giving contenders an enticing preview of the impact he could have on a better team, with a better quarterback.

Here are a few trade destinations that just make too much sense.

3. New York Jets

The Panthers probably won't get top-shelf pricing with Johnson on an expiring contract, but he is plainly one of the best receivers expected to become available before the November trade deadline. Carolina can say Johnson is off the table all it wants, but all logic points to dealing him if a suitable offer crosses the table. Few teams would benefit more form another impact receiver than the New York Jets.

Aaron Rodgers has already developed a fruitful relationship with Garrett Wilson, but the Jets' secondary wideouts have been muted through four weeks. Rodgers is funneling a lot of targets to his trusted top weapons, rather than spreading the wealth and getting the whole pass-catching corps involved. That can work most weeks, but there's a balance that needs to be struck. If defenses can hone in on Wilson, that complicates Rodgers' job every week.

Johnson would give New York an established WR2 with postseason experience from his days in Pittsburgh. At 5-foot-10, he's a versatile receiver who's comfortable at various levels — quick enough to take the lid off the defense, but also extremely physical on catches over the middle and runs after the catch.

New York has poured too many resources — money, time, PR campaigns — into this whole Aaron Rodgers shebang. It can't fall flat. The front office needs to do everything in its power to lift up the four-time MVP, who probably needs a bit more help than he used to at this stage of his career.

2. Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys were too cheap to sign a quality WR in free agency and were almost too cheap to figure out CeeDee Lamb's contract extension, so it should come as no surprise that Dallas is also too cheap to trade for Davante Adams despite possessing the seventh-most cap space in the NFL. God forbid if America's team tries to live up to its reputation.

Adams may be a stretch financially, especially at 32 years old, but Johnson is on a one-year, $7 million contract in the middle of his prime. Surely that is within Dallas' price range, especially after two explosive weeks paired with a quarterback who can, ya know, throw the football more than five yards downfield. The difference between Andy Dalton and Johnson's last couple QBs, Bryce Young and Kenny Pickett, has been staggering. Just imagine Johnson catching passes from Dak Prescott.

For ages, Johnson was called overrated because he couldn't produce consistently in the Steelers offense. What if all along, it was a Steelers offense problem — not a Johnson problem. The talent was evident going back to college and Johnson has more than proven his capacity over these last couple weeks. Far be it from me to overreact to a two-game sample, but Johnson has been patiently waiting for a half-decent situation to break out in.

The Cowboys are in need of WR depth following Brandin Cooks' IR placement. CeeDee Lamb can do a lot on his own, but Prescott needs somebody else to stress the defense and make high-leverage catches. Johnson can oblige, drastically improving the outlook for one of the NFL's most disappointing offenses to date.

1. Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs, well, they need WR help as much as any contender in the NFL. Patrick Mahomes went the distance with a mediocre pass-catching corps last season, but somehow, the Chiefs are in a worse spot this time around. There was excitement about the Hollywood Brown signing, but he's done for the season with a shoulder injury. Rashee Rice was ready for a leap, but he's sidelined indefinitely with a knee ailment.

So, here we are, with Xavier Worthy, Justin Watson, and JuJu Smith-Schuster leading the way for KC. Travis Kelce is still out there, but the veteran tight end is clearly on the precipice of an inevitable decline — if not halfway over the hill already. Mahomes is a tried and true magician, but he hasn't been quite as sharp as we're used to in 2024. The Chiefs are 4-0 thanks to a killer defense and a few lucky breaks, but this does not feel like a three-peat team right now.

Johnson would go a long way toward waking up the Chiefs offense. Kansas City loves small, speedy wideouts, but Johnson's physicality and versatility would be a welcomed new dimension. Worthy is a game-changer with his straight-line speed, but he's too inexperienced to lead a WR room for a contender. With Johnson, the Chiefs would have a proven top-line weapon who has never been in a more favorable offensive ecosystem.

There isn't a single team with a more challenging financial portfolio to juggle than the Chiefs, but it's past time to put a decent receiver or two around Mahomes. With an affordable contract and no long-term strings attached, there's not much of an excuse for Kansas City to stay away from Johnson, assuming the price is reasonable.