Panthers' Biggest Winner From Diontae Johnson Trade Isn't Who You Might Expect

The Carolina Panthers finally parted ways with veteran wide receiver Diontae Johnson, trading him to the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday. As the trade deadline approached, it was more than likely that Johnson would be moved. It was just a matter of where he was going and what the Panthers would get in return.

Johnson was viewed as Carolina’s No. 1 receiver after they acquired him from the Pittsburgh Steelers in the offseason. 

To his credit, the veteran performed well, leading the Panthers in targets (58), receptions (30), receiving yards (357), and tied with rookie Xavier Legette in touchdowns (3).

With Johnson on his way to Baltimore, Carolina will look for someone else to assume the mantle of WR1 for the rest of the season. Adam Thielen is a logical option when he returns from his hamstring injury.

However, the best option and the biggest winner from the trade is Legette. The rookie played well in the Panthers’ Week 8 loss to the Denver Broncos. The young wide receiver posted four receptions (seven targets) for 34 yards and a touchdown.

Legette and veteran running back Miles Sanders led Carolina with seven targets in the 14-point loss. 

The former South Carolina star hasn’t seen a consistent target share this season, averaging 4.4 per game. That number should increase as Johnson produced 8.8 targets per game this season and Carolina needs to find a way to replace that.

At the same time, Legette cannot do it all by himself in Carolina’s passing game. The Panthers need to get the tight end more involved, using rookie Ja’Tavion Sanders, who is their most talented player at that position.

Sanders had one reception for seven yards and played 22 offensive snaps in Week 8 against the Broncos. However, in the previous two games against Washington and Atlanta, he posted a combined 11 receptions (13 targets) for 110 yards.

With that in mind, if I’m head coach Dave Canales, I’m trying to find ways to get those two more involved in the offense as the Panthers are playing for the future.

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