Diontae Johnson didn't have any trouble letting his feelings be known after the Carolina Panthers suffered another humiliating loss at the Washington Commanders in Week 7. This wasn't what the wide receiver expected after he was acquired via trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Going from a respected football operation to this must be the biggest culture shock imaginable.
This fanned the flames further regarding a potential move for Johnson just a few short months after his arrival. The Panthers could be in consolidation mode at 1-6 with another campaign spiraling into irrelevancy. General manager Dan Morgan needs to stockpile assets with the trade deadline fast approaching for a more sustainable future.
Carolina is not the most attractive destination for free agents unless the organization overpays. The more picks Morgan has at his disposal, the better his chances of unearthing some gems who could form the fabric of this downtrodden franchise long-term.
With this in mind, here are five possible destinations if the Panthers end up shipping out Johnson for draft capital before the deadline.
Possible trade destinations for Carolina Panthers WR Diontae Johnson
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are all-in on winning whether they like it or not. This is the last year of Brock Purdy's seventh-round rookie contract before the quarterback becomes extension-eligible. They must seize the moment, but Kyle Shanahan is dealing with some significant injury complications right now.
A plethora of top-level performers are on the sidelines. Christian McCaffrey hasn't been seen for weeks. Deebo Samuel was hospitalized with pneumonia. Fellow wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who signed a megabucks deal this offseason, tore his ACL in Week 7 and is out for the season.
San Francisco is 3-4, but they are only one game back of first place in the NFC West. All hope is not lost just yet, so they need to examine potential replacements for Aiyuk as a matter of urgency.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Calling the Carolina Panthers regarding the availability of Johnson or potentially even Adam Thielen provides a short-term fix to ensure no momentum is lost.