-
Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff Editor
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and the NFL are at odds. 1 offense has achieved a skillful goal that can give all other fields to the aerial attack.
To be sure, the Ravens will theoretically pursue Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson pending a physical, the team announced Tuesday. The Ravens will send a fifth-round pick to the Panthers for Johnson and Carolina’s sixth-round pick, Carolina announced.
The Panthers had two teams interested in Johnson, according to a league source, and the Ravens were late in the final hour.
It’s the second day Johnson has been traded in this life. The Panthers obtained Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Ravens’ AFC North rival, before the season. Johnson will become the 0.33 big receiver since 2000 to catch a move like a Raven and Steeler, according to ESPN Research, joining Mike Wallace and Miles Boykin.
Johnson indicated at ESPN’s closing news that he would love to re-sign with the Panthers (1-7) later in the season. But as losses mounted and frustration mounted, it became clear that Johnson intended to press on.
He sat out games in Carolina’s 28-14 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday due to a bruised rib suffered during the previous hour, prompting educator Dave Canales to be asked if the verdict to take his seat on recipient had the rest to do with protecting him healthy for industrial value.
Canales handed over control to general supervisor Dan Morgan and Brandt Tilis, the managing vice president of football operations.
Baltimore can pair Johnson with Zay Flora and Rashod Bateman to stretch defenses more often. The Ravens have used three or more big receivers on 163 plays, which is the second-fewest in the NFL.
Jackson is having an excellent season as a passer, throwing for 2,099 yards, which puts him in contention. 5 in the NFL this season. His 9.7 yards per effort when targeting a big receiver is third-best behind Sam Darnold (10.7) and Jared Goff (9.7).
The place where Johnson can support Jackson the most is on throws, even from the sideline. The Ravens’ big receivers have combined for 29 receptions on passes thrown outside the numbers this season, the fewest at 0.33 in the NFL, according to ESPN Research. Since entering the NFL in 2019, Johnson has totaled 242 off-the-numbers pass receptions, sixth-most in the league during that span.
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta remains very competitive in improving the team throughout the season. This is DeCosta’s fourth seasonal industry in six seasons. Their previous acquisitions include cornerback Marcus Peters (2019), defensive end Yannick Ngakoue (2020) and middle linebacker Roquan Smith (2022).
In March, the Panthers gave Steelers cornerback Donte Jackson a sixth-round pick for Johnson and a seventh-round pick in the 2024 draft.
Johnson was brought in to back up quarterback Bryce Young, but they combined for just five receptions for 34 yards during an 0-2 start that resulted in the 2023 top draft pick being benched in favor of Andy Dalton.
Johnson had 8 passes for 122 yards and one touchdown in Dalton’s debut, a win over the Las Vegas Raiders. He had 15 catches for 205 yards over a two-game span, but managed just 10 passes for 123 yards in the three games after that.
With Johnson already undrafted, Carolina’s receiving corps will feature veteran Adam Thielen, who is coming off a hamstring injury, first-round pick Xavier Legette, Jonathan Mingo, David Moore and undrafted rookie Jalen Coker.
ESPN’s David Newton contributed to this file.
