Tag: Dionate Johnson

Steelers could trade WR Diontae Johnson if the price is right

There is a report that the Steelers are willing to trade wide receiver Diontae Johnson.

According to NFL reporter Tony Pauline, the Steelers would be willing to trade wide receiver Diontae Johnson if the price is right. What is the right price? That is all up for speculation at this point, but the fact this report is even going around should come as no surprise.

Here’s what Pauline had to say about the idea of Johnson being traded:

While it’s not fair to say Johnson is on the trading block, several people tell me the Steelers are open to moving the receiver if they receive fair compensation.

Two points here. First, what is a fair trade? I’d say a mid-third-round pick would get the deal done. Johnson is a great player, but his contract makes any trade challenging. Two factors hurt the Steelers’ leverage: He has a $16 million cap hit in 2024, and the acquiring team would have to re-sign him.

The second point is, that all you had to do was look at all the top receivers the Steelers met with at the NFL Scouting Combine and you could tell Pittsburgh is doing the prep work for replacing Johnson. The Steelers met with multiple receivers projected to go in the first two rounds. Will a trade happen? At this point, I’d say the odds are better than 50-50.

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Steelers WR Diontae Johnson calls out officials after loss to Jaguars: ‘They wanted them to win’

Diontae Johnson had some harsh words over the officiating in Sunday’s loss.

We’ve gone on the record here multiple times to say that while we consider the officials in the NFL somewhat inept and awful at their jobs, we do not subscribe to the notion of any grand conspiracy. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, and the role the officials played in it, really raises some doubts in our minds.

It also raised some doubt in the mind of wide receiver Diontae Johnson. Actually, Johnson didn’t seem to have any doubts when he spoke to the media after the game and made it clear he felt like the officials were working for the Jaguars.

“They wanted them to win, Johnson said. “Everything was in their favor. They were getting every little call. It is what it is. I’m moving on from it and getting ready for Thursday.”

You don’t have to look any further than the roughing the passer flag that safety Keanu Neal drew for his hit on Trevor Lawrence. Compare that to the hit that Kenny Pickett was injured on, which didn’t draw a flag, and you have to wonder how they decided one was a penalty and the other wasn’t.

Did the officials cost the Steelers the game? Ultimately, no. But it certainly didn’t help things. But there’s no time to worry about it with the Tennessee Titans coming to town on Thursday night.

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