It turns out Diontae Johnson’s stay in Carolina was just a layover on his way to a game against an AFC contender. Just a few months after being traded from the Steelers to the Panthers, Johnson will return to the AFC North in a deal with the Baltimore Ravens for fifth and sixth round picks. This is a very low-cost deal for a Ravens team that ranks second in both EPA per play and success rate.
No one would blame a good team like Baltimore for pushing the chips over the middle in an attempt to reach the top of the range of results, but it hasn’t been detrimental to impact pass catchers.
What Diontae Johnson brings to the Ravens
Zay Flowers is having a strong second season, minimizing some of the Mickey Mouse screen work the Ravens did too much in Weeks 1 and 2, and just starting to unleash him on entry routes. . Rashod Bateman is finally healthy and playing consistently. Play the X receiver spot. He ranks fourth in the NFL in both EPA per target and catch rate resulting in a first down or touchdown, according to TruMedia. Mark Andrews’ season is stabilizing. He and Isaiah probably had big moments for this team at the tight end position.
For those people, the problem is the overall volume. No team will consistently push for more than eight targets each week, due to both the perimeter pieces in the passing game and Baltimore’s commitment to a strong rushing attack. Adding Diontae Johnson to the mix makes the targeting even tougher.
There’s no question that Johnson brings a dimension to this team that no other player has. He is the ultimate pure separatist to people and the press on the border. The Ravens have the eighth-highest Cover-1 success rate this season, according to fantasy point data, so they need a one-on-one man-beater on the outside. Bateman has performed well this season with his looks, which has increased his efficiency per catch, but Johnson gives them another proven body that can do a lot of that. .
Johnson has few shots that come close to matching his 27.1% target rate per route from Weeks 1 to 8 against the Panthers in Baltimore. He will also likely dig deeper into Flowers’ 27% target share and increase the volatility of Bateman and Andrews’ weekly production.
This trade is a very good move for the Ravens offense, as Johnson brings separation skills that any team, especially a playoff contender, can use. It’s just difficult to do the math.
What do you think about the Panthers’ remaining pass catchers?
As for Carolina, there are some interesting young players left on the offensive line, but it’s hard to imagine anyone running toward fantasy glory. This offense ranks 31st in EPA per play. The proud era of Andy Dalton, who supported Johnson, has also come to an end. At this point, the Panthers will likely go back to Bryce Young. anything From a young passerby to mine. Either way, rookie receivers Xavier Leggett and Jalen Coker are names to know.
Leggett was and still is a project receiver, but I like how the Panthers are using him. They’re not asking him to be a winning X receiver on vertical routes just because he’s big and fast. Instead, they placed him outside the line and ran intermediate routes that best suited his current skill level. That’s good coaching.
Fellow rookie Coker was an undrafted free agent and I was really impressed on film. He is an advanced technician with a great feel for zone coverage. Coker has earned playing time this season, taking 70.5% of the snaps from the slot. Maybe Adam Thielen could come back and take the job, but that wouldn’t make sense given that Carolina is clearly looking to the future and is unconcerned about the outcome in 2024. Especially not when Coker is giving them good reps.
Elsewhere on the roster, veteran receiver David Moore, familiar with Dave Canales from Seattle and Tampa Bay, stepped into Johnson’s vacated X receiver role last week and led the team in routes. He’s not a goal scorer, so he just opens up the concepts for Leggett and Coker. Former second-rounder Jonathan Mingo has fallen down the depth chart, and his skills overlap too much with the 2024 rookie.
The Panthers’ passing offense doesn’t seem to be able to provide the necessary soil for good fruit to grow. However, it’s good to know these names in case something changes significantly.
