Tag: Donte Jackson

Did Panthers play an indirect role in Brandon Aiyuk’s extension with 49ers?

The Panthers may have swiped away what could have been the key to a blockbuster trade of 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk.

In this universe, Diontae Johnson is heading into the 2024 campaign as the No. 1 receiver for the Carolina Panthers. But in a parallel one, he might have been the key to a deal with far-reaching implications and an even longer storyline.

After a stalemate that would’ve made the great Alexey Troitsky blush, the San Francisco 49ers and wideout Brandon Aiyuk finally found some middle ground on a brand-new agreement. The sides, as first reported on Thursday night, reached a massive four-year, $120 million extension for the Second-team All-Pro pass catcher.

The pact was preceded by an exhausting months-long standoff between the reigning NFC champions and Aiyuk, who “held in” through the point of initial roster cuts to get his paper on paper. Heck, it was so lengthy and so tedious to follow that much of the football world opted to hold out from the hold-in.

Aiyuk’s long journey to the bag was paved with a bit of uncertainty about his future in The Bay. The 49ers, at one point, allowed the 26-year-old to seek out a trade with a team that would meet his terms.

At least two teams were reportedly willing to give Aiyuk what he was looking for—the Cleveland Browns and the New England Patriots. But his unwillingness to accept a move to either team kept him around in San Francisco.

One of the potential suitors he was amenable to was the Pittsburgh Steelers—who tried their hand at extracting Excalibur. According to The Athletic‘s Diana Russini, however, they hit a bit of a snag . . .

Well, this is where the Panthers come in . . . or came in.

Back in March, at the start of the new league year, Carolina acquired a “top-flight” wide receiver. Yeah, Johnson.

And do you remember who they acquired that “top-flight” wide receiver from? Yeah, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Johnson was reeled in for cornerback Donte Jackson and a 2024 draft pick swap. The Steelers were at the end of their line with Johnson and the Panthers were prepared to move on from Jackson, who was set to account for a $10.5 million hit this upcoming season.

So Russini’s interesting tidbit from Thursday night begs the question—could Johnson have been of use to Pittsburgh in their pursuit of Aiyuk? Would the Steelers have pulled off the blockbuster swap if they had a Pro Bowl wideout of their own to offer up?

Perhaps.

Incredibly enough, Johnson may have been a perfect fit in San Francisco.

For one, the financials would’ve matched up to the organization’s timeline. Johnson is effectively on a one-year deal with a relatively manageable $10 million, over $4 million less than what Aiyuk was lined up for on his fifth-year option in 2024.

He also may have thrived in the 49ers offense. The name of the game for head coach Kyle Shanahan is getting open and getting open quickly, a major strength of Johnson’s skill set.

But back to our universe.

In the end, most of the parties involved in our cooked-up scenario (directly or indirectly) got what they wanted. The Niners got their guy back, Aiyuk got his contract, the Panthers got quarterback Bryce Young some much-needed help and Johnson got a team that promised to get him the ball.

Sadly for the Steelers, they didn’t get a shiny new toy. They got a cornerback who the Panthers would’ve ended up releasing anyway.

That, though, may not be here nor there.

Would Pittsburgh have benefitted from not cutting bait with Johnson so swiftly? Would San Francisco have even been interested in him if those talks came their way? And did Carolina get lucky?

Who knows? We’re just having a little bit of fun in the NFL multiverse.

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Return for Diontae Johnson on ‘hot seat’ with training camp underway

CB Donte Jackson is on the hot seat at Steelers training camp.

Cornerback became a positional need for the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, as both Levi Wallace and Patrick Peterson left in free agency. Unfortunately, it came at the expense of Pittsburgh’s most productive offensive player, wide receiver Diontae Johnson.

The Steelers sent Johnson and their No. 240 pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for cornerback Donte Jackson and No. 178 pick (defensive lineman Logan Lee).

TribLive’s Joe Rutter believes that Jackson is at risk of losing his job. He laid out five players on the hot seat at training camp. At the top is everybody’s favorite defensive end, Cameron Heyward.

Here’s what Rutter had to say about Jackson:

Searching for a veteran to pair with second-year player Joey Porter Jr. at cornerback, the Steelers didn’t sign a free agent or use a high-round draft pick to address the position. Instead, they traded their most established wide receiver, Diontae Johnson, to Carolina to acquire Jackson, who spent his first six seasons with the Panthers.

Jackson took the first-team reps in offseason workouts, and he likely will be there Thursday for the first workout. He’s the latest veteran to get a shot at locking down an outside cornerback spot, following in the footsteps of Levi Wallace and Patrick Peterson last year.

Jackson started 16 games for Carolina last year, his most in a season since his rookie year in 2018. His primary competition will come from a pair of 2023 rookies: Cory Trice Jr. and Darius Rush. Cameron Sutton would have been a possibility until the NFL suspended him for the first half of the season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.

Trading your top wide receiver with no surefire plan to replace him is a significant misstep by general manager Omar Khan. Let’s hope that Jackson can, at least, not make the Steelers regret the move.

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The sky is falling for Steelers beat writer about upcoming season

Did the Steelers get worse at wide receiver and cornerback this offseason?

Cautiously optimistic is the way I would describe my feelings about the Pittsburgh Steelers in the upcoming season. A worse version of this team found a way to go 10-7 and sneak into the playoffs in 2023.

On paper, this team is better at multiple positions and worse at only one. Not exactly a recipe for doom and gloom, but for some beat writers, it is all they know.

Steelers writer Mark Madden offered up about as gloomy an outlook as we’ve seen. But amidst his pessimistic diatribe was one piece of information that we felt we needed to cover.

Madden offered up this tidbit about new Steelers cornerback Donte Jackson.

Carolina was about to cut Donte Jackson. Until they traded him to the Steelers for wideout Diontae Johnson. The Steelers immediately made Jackson a starter. A cornerback that a 2-15 team was about to ditch.

This is true, and it really does make you wonder if the aggressive nature of general manager Omar Khan got the best of him here.

If Jackson isn’t as good at cornerback as Diontae Johnson would have been at wide receiver, as Madden says, this team is now shorthanded at two key positions.

Most of what Madden had to say was just vitriol aimed at the franchise, but the Johnson-Jackson trade is going to cast a huge shadow over this team if Jackson struggles and the offense can’t get on track.

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CB Donte Jackson brings elite man coverage skills to Steelers defense

Donte Jackson graded out as one of the top man defenders in the NFL last season.

There’s an old adage in the NFL about leaving cornerbacks “on an island” meaning they lock in on a single wide receiver in man coverage. It’s what every team wants from their top corners and it helps make the rest of the defense better when you don’t have to commit extra defenders into coverage.

The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted one such cornerback last season in Joey Porter Jr. By the time Porter was ready to enter the starting lineup, he was confident he wanted the opposing team’s best receiver.

Now this offseason, the Steelers added Donte Jackson via a trade with the Carolina Panthers which gives them a player who can lock down the other side of the field as well.

Pro Football Focus ranked the five highest-graded cornerbacks in man coverage and Jackson checked in a No. 5 with an 81.4. The only cornerbacks ahead of Jackson were Sauce Gardner, Trent McDuffie, Jamel Dean and Tariq Woolen. For the sake of comparison, Jackson’s overall coverage grade was only 66.6 which really illustrates where his strength lies in man coverage.

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Steelers earn B grade from ESPN for offseason

The Steelers made a lot of great moves this offseason but trading away Diontae Johnson wasn’t one of them according to ESPN.

The 2024 offseason was a busy one for the Pittsburgh Steelers. General manager Omar Khan made multiple huge moves, most of which were universally praised. This includes the addition of quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, linebacker Patrick Queen and rookie offensive linemen Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier.

However, ESPN wasn’t quite as optimistic about the Steelers offseason. They handed out grades for every NFL franchise based on their offseason additions and losses and for the Steelers, they scored them a B.

The big move they did not like was the Steelers decision to trade away wide receiver Diontae Johnson for cornerback Donte Jackson. Here’s what they had to say about the move:

Trading Johnson for Jackson was an error in my view. While Jackson helps fill the void at corner opposite Joey Porter Jr., Johnson has much higher upside considering the incredible open scores (via our receiver tracking metrics) he has posted in his career — three 90-plus scores in five seasons.
The Steelers also signed linebacker Patrick Queen to a three-year, $41 million contract. Though I didn’t love the move given Queen’s risks — he plays a non-premium position and thrived only once he played next to Roquan Smith — this was a cheaper deal than I expected him to get.

We definitely agree the trading of Johnson was the worst move of the offseason unless you count the non-move of failing to replace him as worse. Keeping Johnson wasn’t as simple as it sounds. He showed a serious lack of commitment to the team last season and head coach Mike Tomlin always says he wants volunteers, not hostages.

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What the newest Pittsburgh Steelers are saying about Mike Tomlin

How the newest members of the Steelers are reacting to playing under Mike Tomlin

Calling Mike Tomlin popular amongst players would be like calling La La Land a good movie – it’s so much of an understatement that it’s borderline offensive.

Guys love playing for him, and several players highlight the Super Bowl-winning head coach as a reason for coming to Pittsburgh, similar to new linebacker Patrick Queen who joined Pittsburgh from the division-rival Baltimore Ravens.

During his introductory press conference, Queen was asked what the biggest reason was for his jump to Pittsburgh.

“That man standing right there,” Queen said motioning to Tomlin.

New quarterback Justin Fields was asked about Mike Tomlin, as well, after the final day of OTAs in Pittsburgh.

“Before I got here, I heard nothing but great things about Coach T,” Fields said. “That’s what I’ve seen in person being here. He’s a great coach, great leader.”

But that’s only two of the several new faces in Pittsburgh. So, after the second day of mandatory minicamp, I made my rounds and spoke to several first-year Steelers to get their early impressions on what it’s like to play for Mike Tomlin.

Nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson sang the praises of Tomlin, calling him a future Hall of Famer.

“Mike’s been amazing, man,” Wilson said. “Coach Tomlin is a special coach. A Hall of Fame coach, and I’m grateful for him. The culture he’s established is amazing, and his work ethic is great, too. I’m just grateful to be here.”

Veteran wide receiver Scotty Miller was signed by the Steelers in early May, and he says that Tomlin is everything he expected him to be.

“It’s been everything you think of and hear about him and what he’s about,” Miller said. “That’s exactly who he is. When he walks into the meeting room, just the command he has over that room every morning, he’s just a great leader and he gets everyone going. He’s a very inspiring coach.”

Cornerback Donte Jackson was acquired by Pittsburgh in March as part of the package the Carolina Panthers sent to the Steelers in exchange for wide receiver Diontae Johnson, and he echoed Miller’s sentiment.

“He’s definitely as advertised,” Jackson said. “You hear a lot about him being on the outside looking in. He loves football. He loves Steelers football.”

Pittsburgh added another veteran cornerback, Anthony Averett, via free agency in mid-May. He highlights the atmosphere that his new head coach brings.

“He’s exciting. I was just happy to be back playing football, but with Mike I definitely like the guy. It’s a good atmosphere that he brings. He’s definitely a player’s coach.”

Defensive lineman Dean Lowry was signed as a free agent in late March. He spent last season with the Minnesota Vikings, and he highlighted how excited he was to play for a defensive-minded head coach.

“He’s great,” Lowry said. “Just his daily energy, his relationship with the players – he’s a guy who’s always around and making his points known. It’s cool playing for a defensive-minded head coach, too. It’s the first time in my career that I’ve had that. So I can definitely see his approach in the way he motivates his guys.”

Running back La’Mical Perine won a Super Bowl last year with the Kansas City Chiefs and was added to the roster on the third day of OTAs.

“He’s a very high-energy coach,” Perine said. “Always brings his best foot forward every day. He’s very detail-oriented and likes seeing guys compete.”

It’s not just the veterans that have these kinds of reactions, though. Nor is it just the high-profile draft picks and signees. Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee was signed by the Steelers as an undrafted free agent, and he says all of the tales and legends of Mike Tomlin are true.

“You hear a lot about him,” Plumlee said. “You hear that players love him, they love playing for him, they love being in the building with him. Being here, all of that has been confirmed. He’s an awesome coach, an unbelievable leader of men. I don’t know what else you can ask for in a head coach. It’s been really fun to be around him and to watch how he operates and leads this group.”

For as long as Tomlin has been at the helm in Pittsburgh, he has been polarizing to the fan base. There’s never really seemed to be a middle ground. If you’re a Steelers fan, you’re either ready to die on the shield of Mike Tomlin like Mel Gibson in Braveheart, or you want him fired tomorrow. But for the Tomlin naysayers, the way he makes players feel, and having the ability to bring guys in simply because they want to play for him is invaluable to Pittsburgh.

I’ll spare all readers of praising the whole “never had a losing record” trope because it’s far overdone and, frankly, it isn’t what makes Tomlin so great. The relationships and trust he builds with his players to get the most out of them year in and year out is what makes Tomlin so special. And heading into year 18 at the head of the Steelers’ table, and just days off of signing a three-year extension, he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Steelers CBs near the bottom in ESPN positional rankings

ESPN ranks the Steelers cornerbacks No. 27 in the NFL.

One of the big moves the Pittsburgh Steelers made this offseason was the trade that sent wide receiver Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for cornerback Donte Jackson. By all accounts, Jackson is working into the rotation quickly and Jackson is confident he can shadow top receivers just like Joey Porter Jr. did last season.

ESPN doesn’t agree. Well maybe they do, but like us they have serious concerns about the rest of the depth chart and if there can be improvements made.

Mike Clay put out his positional unit rankings and for the Steelers cornerbacks, he has them all the way down at No. 27. Probably a fair rankings considering how far the drop-off is after Porter and Jackson.

The good news is the Steelers might have help on the way. We fully expect to see Patrick Peterson back on the team at some point and even better the team might get Cameron Sutton back as well. If this happens it completely flips the script for the Steelers cornerback room.

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Donte Jackson says time with Panthers helped him adjust to Steelers

At least the instability in Carolina paid off somehow for former Panthers CB Donte Jackson.

So, how’s the other end of the Diontae Johnson trade doing?

Former Carolina Panthers cornerback Donte Jackson is currently acclimating to life as a Pittsburgh Steeler. He spoke with reporters after Thursday’s outing of team organized activities, and was asked how that transition is going.

“It’s been great,” he replied. “It’s a football building. It’s just great to get in here with these guys and just learn the system and just learn the Steeler way, learn how everybody do things. It’s been amazing though. Everything I thought it would be when I first found out that I got traded here.”

He got traded there back on March 12. The swap saw Jackson and the 2024 draft’s 178th overall pick swing over to the Steel City in exchange for Johnson and the 240th selection.

Jackson was then asked about having to learn a new defense.

“I played in Carolina for all my career, but I’ve had five different defensive systems that I had to be in,” he said. “So even though I was in the same uniform, I still had to make sure we honed in those details. And so it’s kinda the same way here. Just making sure you learn every little detail. You understanding the language, ’cause that be the biggest thing when you learning new defenses.”

The 2017 second-round pick spent his first six NFL seasons in Carolina, where (as stated) he had to learn five different systems. Jackson played under defensive coordinators Steve Wilks (2017), Eric Washington (2018-2019), Phil Snow (2020-2022), Al Holcomb (2022) and Ejiro Evero (2023).

But hopefully, at least for Donte’s sake, things will be a lot more stable in his new digs.

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Steelers HC Mike Tomlin looking for a leap from young CBs

The Steelers have some quality young cornerbacks on the roster.

The offseason has been busy for the Pittsburgh Steelers in an attempt to turn over a solid chunk of the roster. One position where there were plenty of changes is at cornerback. Out are Patrick Peterson, Levi Wallace, Chandon Sullivan and Elijah Riley.

But as we’ve already pointed out, the Steelers might have enough cornerbacks on the roster already and don’t need to target one early in the 2024 NFL draft. Two guys in particular we are excited to see are Cory Trice Jr. and Darius Rush.

On Monday, head coach Mike Tomlin talked about those two guys and said he expected a significant step for them in their second seasons.

“They’re going into their second year,” Tomlin said. “We expect guys going into their second year to make a significant step.”

If the Steelers have confidence in Trice and Rush, in addition to new cornerback Donte Jackson, they might not need to spend a top pick on a starter or even a slot cornerback.

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2024 NFL draft: Steelers hosting speedy CB for Top 30 visit

The Steelers traded for Donte Jackson but still need more help at cornerback.

According to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson, the Pittsburgh Steelers will host former Rutgers cornerback Max Melton for a Top 30 predraft visit.

The Steelers added cornerback Donte Jackson in the trade that sent top wide receiver Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers. He should be a solid outside starter to pair up with Joey Porter Jr. Nevertheless, another top cornerback is needed, whether in the slot or boundary.

Melton is a natural slot cornerback but isn’t limited to just that. He is a long strider with good length and lots of closing speed. Melton also has exceptional ball skills and does a great job tracking the football in the air. The only real downside of Melton’s game as far as the Steelers go is his struggles in defending the run.

Melton projects as a late second, early third-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft. His skills in many other draft classes would warrant him being selected higher but this class is very deep and talented.

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