Panthers officially win Diontae Johnson trade after wide receiver's latest meltdown

The Carolina Panthers took severe criticism for the compensation received for wide receiver Diontae Johnson. People are looking a little differently at the transaction now.

General manager Dan Morgan got almost nothing for Johnson and paid the majority of his remaining salary. The Panthers were desperate to remove him from the equation after reports of disenchantment behind the scenes. This followed on from the reported locker room dissension with the Pittsburgh Steelers before he was shipped to Carolina.

Johnson's been an afterthought since joining the Baltimore Ravens. He's gone from a starting X receiver and focal point of Carolina's offense to someone finding it tough to adjust on a contending team, losing himself a ton of money in the process.

The former third-round pick didn't play one snap versus the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13. That seemed strange, especially after Rashod Bateman went out through injury. However, recent information brought crystal clear clarity to the situation.

Carolina Panthers get trade vindication after Diontae Johnson suspension

Baltimore announced they'd suspended Johnson without pay for one game for conduct detrimental to the team. Executive vice president and general manager Eric DeCosta revealed that this came from the wideout refusing to enter last Sunday's game when the Ravens requested.

This is an absolute catastrophe for Johnson. However, it's very on-brand looking at the reputation he's developed in recent years.

Teams will tolerate questionable behavior and attitude as long as the production matches in a competitive setting. Johnson's powers have waned in that regard since his Pro Bowl campaign. Pittsburgh got rid eventually. Morgan wasn't going to wait around for fear of further toxicity in the locker room enveloping Carolina's young roster.

The Panthers won this trade. There is no disputing that now. It doesn't matter how much they received. This was a problem Morgan and head coach Dave Canales didn't need.

There was a reason why Morgan was so eager to take the first offer that came along for Johnson. There's also a reason why this was the best offer the Panthers received despite the Toledo product's obvious talent.

Johnson is on a worrying career path. Refusing to play - to help your teammates in their hour of need against a dominant outfit expected to go deep into the postseason - is simply unacceptable. This won't go unnoticed by those examining his capabilities in free agency.

He's potentially lost millions. He's got no leverage whatsoever. A situation could even emerge where teams look away from Johnson entirely after this latest development.

Johnson's got nobody to blame but himself. And make no mistake, the Panthers' decision to part ways has been vindicated.

More Carolina Panthers news and analysis