By james art OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and the NFL’s No. 1 receiver have acquired an experienced target who could add another dimension to the passing attack.
The Ravens have agreed in principle to trade Carolina Panthers wide receiver Dionte 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 selection, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
This is the second time Johnson has been traded this year. The Panthers acquired Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Ravens’ AFC North rival, before the season. Johnson will become just the third wide receiver since 2000 to catch a pass as a Raven and as a Steeler, according to ESPN Research, joining Mike Wallace and Miles Boykin.
Johnson indicated to ESPN last month that he would like to re-sign with the Panthers (1-7) after the season. But as the losses piled up and the frustration grew, it became clear that Johnson was ready to move on.
He did not play in Carolina’s 28-14 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday because of a rib injury he had been dealing with the previous week, prompting coach Dave Canales to be asked if the decision to sit the receiver out had anything to do with keeping him healthy for trade value .
Canales turned over to general manager Dan Morgan and Brand Tillis, executive vice president of football operations.
Baltimore could pair Johnson with Zai Flowers and Rashod Bateman to spread defenses more often. The Ravens have used three or more wide receivers on 163 plays, the second fewest in the NFL.
Jackson is coming off his best season as a passer, throwing for 2,099 yards, which ranks him 5th in the NFL this season. His 9.7 yards per punt attempt by a wide receiver is third-best behind Sam Darnold (10.7) and Jared Goff (9.7).
Where Johnson can help Jackson the most is on throws near the sideline. Ravens receivers have combined for 29 pass catches thrown outside the numbers this season, the third fewest in the NFL, according to ESPN Research. Since entering the NFL in 2019, Johnson has totaled 242 pass catches outside the numbers, sixth most in the league over that span.
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta continues to be very aggressive in upgrading the team during the offseason. It marks DeCosta’s fourth in-season trade in the last six seasons. His previous acquisitions include cornerback Marcus Peters (2019), linebacker Yannick Ngakue (2020) and middle linebacker Roquan Smith (2022).
The Panthers in March dealt Steelers cornerback Donte Jackson and a sixth-round pick for Johnson and a seventh-round pick in the 2024 draft.
Johnson was brought in to complement quarterback Bryce Young, but they combined for just five receptions for 34 yards during an 0-2 start that resulted in the top pick in the 2023 draft going in favor of Andy Dalton.
Johnson caught eight passes for 122 yards and a touchdown in Dalton’s debut, a win over the Las Vegas Raiders. He had 15 catches for 205 yards in a two-game stretch, but caught just 10 passes for 123 yards over the next three games.
With Johnson gone, Carolina’s receiving corps will include veteran Adam Thielen, who is coming off a hamstring injury, first-round pick Xavier Leggett, Jonathan Mingo, David Moore and undrafted rookie Jalen Coker.
ESPN’s David Newton contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2024 ESPN Internet Ventures. All rights reserved.