National media reactions to the Baltimore Ravens’ trade for Diontae Johnson

Some are calling the Ravens’ trade for WR Diontae Johnson “larceny.” But all are reacting positively for the Ravens in the trade.

On Tuesday, well ahead of the NFL’s trade deadline, the Baltimore Ravens made the decision to add another wide receiver to their roster. General manager Eric DeCosta made a deal with the Carolina Panthers and Diontae Johnson packed his bags and headed to Charm City.

The move came a day after the Kansas City Chiefs made their second midseason trade that generated frustration from impatient Ravens fans annoyed with watching the back-to-back champions further strengthening their undefeated roster.

The Ravens made the savvy trade that includes a near pick-swap with the Panthers, giving them the Ravens’ expected late-in-the-round fifth-round pick while acquiring both Johnson and the Panthers’ sixth-round pick. Better yet, the Panthers are expected to pay the bulk of Johnson’s remaining salary; the Ravens will pay ~$625k to Johnson for the remainder of the season.

Here’s what national analysts, hosts and other media personalities had to say about the trade.

SB Nation’s Joseph Acosta: “Giving up a Day 3 draft pick for a quality receiver is always good business. The Ravens still needed to add some more pop to their offense, and Johnson can create separation in bunches. His 62 Open Score is 34th among all qualifying receivers, per ESPN, and while his Catch Score might not be as potent, those numbers will go up with a real QB under center in Baltimore. The Ravens play a lot of 21 and 22 personnel, so adding Johnson would mean potentially taking off either Zay Flowers or Rashod Bateman, but when the Ravens want to spread out and go 11 personnel, this makes them even more dangerous. A fantastic trade with little risk added.”

The Baltimore Sun’s Childs Walker: This wasn’t the move we expected from a team that already leads the league in passing efficiency. The Ravens need players who can break up deep balls more than they need another guy who can catch them. That said, Johnson has been a durable, productive receiver throughout his six-year career, and he’ll give Lamar Jackson another target who can punish blitzes and make plays in the red zone. The Ravens didn’t give up much to get him and better yet, they kept Johnson away from AFC rivals that might immediately plug him in as a starter. Jackson will have a lot of hands to feed, and this could lead to renewed questions about the size of Rashod Bateman’s role. But it’s a low-downside addition.

The Baltimore Sun’s Sam Cohn: That’s a good deal considering the Ravens gave up next to nothing to add a former Pro Bowl receiver and the Panthers are paying most of his salary. He’s 28 years old and has caught 30 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns in seven games this season. Johnson only adds to what this team continually refers to as a “pick-your-poison” offense. That being said, the trade deadline is still a week away and it’s hard to imagine this being Baltimore’s lone move considering its floundering defense.

NFL.com’s Kevin Patra: Johnson’s ability on the outside should help open things up for the shifty Flowers and give Jackson a field-stretching and back-shoulder boundary weapon. He’s an immediate upgrade over Rashod Bateman and ensures the Ravens’ depth should injuries strike. With Johnson in the final year of his contract, he’s a hired weapon for a Ravens team that has leaned on the offense in 2024. The defense still has issues that could be aided in the trade market. But for today, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta decided to double down on the offense. If Baltimore isn’t going to slow opponents, at least they can try to run away from them on offense every week.

The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec: The Ravens didn’t necessarily need a receiver. They were relatively thin there after Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor, but they don’t have three receivers on the field often, because of how much they lean on tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely. However, adding Johnson was a way to add some depth while giving up virtually nothing. The difference between the Ravens’ initial fifth-round pick and the Panthers’ initial sixth-rounder will probably be less than 20 spots. The Panthers are also paying down Johnson’s contract, so the Ravens will only be on the hook for about $625,000 here. This move won’t prevent the Ravens from making another move to address their struggling defense.

ESPN’s Jeff Saturday: Yeah, I like it. Familiarity, right? Understands the division, understands what he has to get done. I think for the Ravens it just gives them an edge — a fall back guy. I don’t think he’s going to be — Zay Flowers is still going to be their guy. Bateman’s been making some plays. You got [Isaiah] Likely and [Mark] Andrews. [Nelson] Agholor made some plays for them but if somebody happens to go down, tweaks, injuries, it’s a long season, we understand that. I think they just got an understanding. His familiarity of the division and the push the Ravens are going to have to make. They’re going to have to score points. We usually have to talk about the Ravens’ smothering defense that locks people down. The Ravens understand their path to the Super Bowl is going to be offensively and that’s riding Lamar Jackson and the hot hand he carries. So, as many weapons as you can get him, the better of you’ll be.

ESPN’s Jamison Hensley: Where Johnson can help Jackson the most is throws near the sideline. The Ravens wide receivers have combined for 29 catches on passes thrown outside the numbers this season, which are the third fewest in the NFL, according to ESPN Research. Since entering the NFL in 2019, Johnson has totaled 242 catches on passes outside the numbers, which are the sixth-most in the league over that span.