Wide receiver Diontae Johnson will make his debut for the Baltimore Ravens against the Denver Broncos today, multiple sources are reporting.
Apparently, he will not play a full set of snaps, but is being deployed to help him adjust to his new team's plays. Johnson was unexpectedly traded to the Ravens by the Carolina Panthers at the end of last month; Baltimore sent a fifth-round pick to Carolina for Johnson and a sixth-round pick.
Johnson is returning to the AFC North after spending half a season with the Panthers. During his seven games with Carolina this season, he recorded 30 receptions for 357 yards and three touchdowns.
The Ravens head into Week 9 sitting in second place in the AFC North, trailing the Steelers, who are currently 6-2. They will face the Denver Broncos today, followed by a matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 10, before taking on the Steelers in Week 11.
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Johnson spent the first five years of his career with the Steelers, earning a spot on the All-Pro Second Team and making one Pro Bowl appearance. He was traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Panthers this past offseason, with the Steelers sending Johnson and a seventh-round pick to Carolina in exchange for cornerback Donte Jackson and a sixth-round pick.
The wide receiver was drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Toledo, and had a breakout performance in his third year, catching 107 passes for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns—career highs that still stand.
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CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones reported earlier this week that NFL insiders were shocked at the relatively small price Baltimore paid to receive the star player, saying, "Sources across the NFL were floored by the lack of compensation Carolina received for wide receiver Diontae Johnson. To recap: The Panthers sent Johnson, their leading receiver at 28 years old, to the Ravens for a fifth- and sixth-round pick swap while absorbing all but the prorated league minimum of his salary."
There is speculation that "attitude" issues from Johnson may have pushed the Panthers to trade him ASAP, with Joseph Person of The Athletic writing, "[The Panthers] knew full well about his reputation for being a locker-room diva who wasn't afraid to throw his quarterbacks under the bus. But they hoped he'd be on his best behavior while playing for a new contract...When Johnson ran a bad route at Washington in Week 7 that resulted in an Andy Dalton interception, Dalton slammed his helmet and yelled when he got to the sideline...It feels now like that was the beginning of the end."
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