3 winners (and 2 losers) from Carolina Panthers' trading Diontae Johnson

Loser No. 1

Dan Morgan - Carolina Panthers GM

Dan Morgan was a controversial hire. Instead of team owner David Tepper going for a complete tear-down after firing Frank Reich and Scott Fitterer, he promoted the former linebacker to general manager. This kept someone he'd built a relationship with already rather than starting fresh.

Morgan's done some good things. Building the offensive line is at the top, but his neglectful defensive construction is a glaring flaw. Fans were skeptical before the Diontae Johnson trade. They are even more so now.

The Carolina Panthers got a fifth-round pick for Johnson. They also had to cough up a sixth-rounder and pay most of the player's remaining salary in 2024 to rubber-stamp the deal. That's a sign Morgan wanted rid of this particular problem. Even if it means looking bad in the short term.

Fans came out all guns blazing in their roast of Morgan on social media after the compensation became public knowledge. He'll be under increasing scrutiny moving forward, so panicking at any stage during the 2025 offseason is simply not an option.

Winner No. 2

Xavier Legette - Carolina Panthers WR

The Panthers drafted Xavier Legette to be an immediate contributor. Dan Morgan and Dave Canales became enamored with the wide receiver's physical attributes, trading up one spot to No. 32 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft to secure his services. It's been a slow burn up to now, but Carolina needs that to change after trading Diontae Johnson to the Baltimore Ravens.

Legette needs to emerge as an alpha within a wide receiver room not blessed with proven production aside from Adam Thielen, who's still working his way back from injury. It's not going to be perfect, but the former South Carolina standout must start repaying the faith shown in him by the front office.

There are flashes of promise from Legette. It's nowhere near consistent enough just yet, so it remains to be seen how he'll fare with a heavy workload. This is a huge opportunity for the wideout - one he must grasp with both hands before the Panthers examine potential pass-catching reinforcements.

With just 22 receptions from 35 targets for 211 receiving yards and three touchdowns through eight games, this is a journey into the relative unknown for Legette and the Panthers. But make no mistake, this was exactly why they drafted him.