The Carolina Panthers must get something for wide receiver Diontae Johnson ahead of the NFL trade deadline on Nov. 5, and the Kansas City Chiefs should be one of the teams calling about the former Pro Bowl receiver.
Carolina is a mess right now and isn't going anywhere this season. Furthermore, it's pretty clear that Johnson isn't happy with the Panthers and he's almost certainly going to skip town when he hits free agency in 2025.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs are gunning for a three-peat but have been ravaged by injuries at the wide receiver position after season-ending injuries to both Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown.
With those things in mind, The Draft Network's Justin Melo suggested the Panthers and Chiefs work out a trade for Johnson.
"Xavier Worthy was not prepared for a No. 1 receiver role following Rashee Rice’s season-ending injury," Melo write. "Johnson would immediately be the go-to wideout on the Chiefs' roster. If the Chiefs fail to complete the three-peat, it will almost certainly be because a lackluster passing game eventually caught up with them."
Johnson wouldn't be a the big, splashy move Chiefs fans are hoping for, but he would still be a significant upgrade.
Johnson has one Pro Bowl and 1,100-yard season under his belt in the NFL, and he has posted four seasons with 700 yards or more, which is made more impressive by the fact that the team he did that with, the Pittsburgh Steelers, have had a rough situation under center for years now.
As far as trade compensation is concerned, the fact that Johnson will be a free agent next year could help make him cheaper, but that will also depend upon how many teams are in on him.
It shouldn't take anything more than a fourth-round pick to acquire Johnson's services, which would be a small price to pay for someone who could help the Chiefs make NFL history this season.
