The Carolina Panthers were heavily criticized for receiving almost no trade compensation for wide receiver Diontae Johnson. Those who slammed the front office might be looking at the situation differently now.
Johnson was sent to the Baltimore Ravens for a late-round pick swap. The Panthers also agreed to pay the majority of his remaining salary, which highlighted the desperation to remove him from the equation. Looking at how things have unfolded for the wideout in a different environment, it's not hard to see why.
The former third-round pick was seldom used in the passing game. Baltimore suspended him for one contest after he refused to go into their encounter against the Philadelphia Eagles. Another concerning development all but ensures Johnson's time with the Ravens will be short-lived.
Diontae Johnson blew his big chance after leaving Carolina Panthers
John Harbaugh announced that Johnson and the organization mutually agreed that his presence wouldn't be required this week. Baltimore opted not to release the pass-catcher outright, but the head coach is focused on this weekend's clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers and nothing more.
"What I foresee, really to be honest with you and all I'm really thinking about right now is Pittsburgh. So he won't be here this week and next week will take care of itself. I'm really interested in the Pittsburgh Steelers, to be honest with you. I know you guys want to hear the story. There are a lot of moving parts. There are reasons for doing things that are front office-type reasons. Do I want to sit here and get into all the different calculations that Eric [DeCosta] makes? I really don't. I want to think about Pittsburgh, and the guys who are going to be here playing against Pittsburgh. That's my focus, 100 percent."John Harbaugh
Johnson cemented his status as the poster child for botching a contract year. He had the chance to earn himself a ton of money in Carolina if he'd just got his head down and not become a distraction. Forcing his way out and damaging his reputation further isn't going to go unnoticed by other teams around the league.
The Toledo product went from a starting X receiver potentially worthy of a lucrative, long-term commitment to someone who'll be lucky to catch on somewhere else. That's a dramatic fall from grace and Johnson has nobody to blame but himself.
Where Johnson goes from here is anyone's guess. The Ravens aren't releasing him due to his potential to sign for another playoff hopeful if they'll have him. But it would take a monumental turnaround to win back the good graces of Harbaugh after a disastrous stint in Baltimore so far.
Any player — whether it's a wide receiver or another position group — entering a contract year should look at Johnson's predicament as a cautionary tale. It won't take long for the NFL to chew you up and spit you out. Having a bad attitude is simply not an option.
General manager Dan Morgan went from being ridiculed to being praised for getting something for Johnson. But for those who were potentially looking to acquire the wideout this offseason, the juice is no longer worth the squeeze.