The Carolina Panthers traded wide receiver Diontae Johnson and a sixth-round draft pick to the Baltimore Ravens for a fifth-rounder.

Why they made the deal

The Panthers (1-7) are back in the running for the No. 1 pick in the draft, and the 28-year-old Johnson is scheduled to enter free agency after the season. Johnson attracted so much trade interest that it seemed inevitable that he would be moved before next week’s trade deadline. The Panthers are once again in selling mode.

The Ravens (5-3), on the other hand, look like Super Bowl contenders if they can improve a few areas, including the need to improve the receiving group. Quarterback Lamar Jackson has a good chance to win his third MVP award this season, but he needed reinforcements.

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Johnson, who is only due the balance of his $7 million base salary, had three productive games this season amid the Panthers’ quarterback chaos. He was a bigger threat during his best season with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020-22, so the Ravens are hoping to help him recapture that production. It won’t be smooth sailing with a midseason move, but Johnson gives the Ravens an outside boost for minimal cost.

Johnson played in nine games against the Ravens, totaling 34 catches for 495 yards and three touchdowns. In other words, you are familiar with his work.

Ravens grade: B

The Ravens looked at the receiver market but missed out on more prominent veterans like Davante Adams (New York Jets), Amari Cooper (Buffalo Bills) and DeAndre Hopkins (Kansas City Chiefs). After those three, Johnson could be the best receiver to be moved at the deadline.

Red Rifle slings it to Diontae for the TD

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/qWgQ1Fd7qg

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) October 13, 2024

The Ravens have a rising star in Zay Flowers, who has a team-high 41 catches and 527 yards, but their second most productive receiver was Rashod Bateman (22 catches, 422 yards, three touchdowns). Johnson is an upgrade over Nelson Agholor and makes Baltimore deeper at the position.

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The Ravens do it. And when Flowers struggled with an ankle injury last week, they likely realized how quickly the depth at the position could be tested.

The challenge of making more moves for the Ravens is more about cap space and roster flexibility than capital selection. Sure, the team hates trading picks. But after this trade, they still have 11 potential picks in the 25 draft, assuming they get the projected 4 comps.

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) October 29, 2024

Panthers Grade: C-

The Panthers took a small salary cut, which may carry over into free agency. Every little bit helps when a team is facing a major rebuild.

However, converting an early sixth-rounder into a late fifth-rounder doesn’t change all that much. It feels like a small return, but it would be hard to believe that the Panthers didn’t accept the best offer on the table.

It’s also fair to argue that cutting a piece from the offense after second-year quarterback Bryce Young was reinstated as the starter due to Andy Dalton’s thumb injury would be counterproductive. But Young’s future with the organization is so uncertain that moving Johnson may not be a big deal.

The Panthers still have a long way to go and Johnson was not part of their future plans.

More commercial qualities:

• Josh Uche: Chiefs can’t lose on a high-upside deal; Patriots go into sell mode
• DeAndre Hopkins: The Chiefs are getting Patrick Mahomes the help he desperately needed
• Davante Adams: Kudos to the Jets for going all in; Why did Raiders wait so long?
• Amari Cooper: The bills are piling up; Browns try to make the best of a bad situation

(Photo: Ian Maule/Getty Images)