Could Steelers trade WR Diontae Johnson to NFC team?

There have been rumblings that the Pittsburgh Steelers are open to trading wide receiver Diontae Johnson this week, but how much truth is there to it?

There's at least some apparently as the Athletic's Dianna Russini confirmed those rumors on Saturday and posted on platform X, "There is interest from teams around the league as GMs are getting set for free agency."

Of course, there will be a couple of factors in the Steelers' decision, including trade compensation and who would potentially replace Johnson. However, Andrew Fillipponi of Pittsburgh's 93.7 The Fan believes a "team to watch" is the Arizona Cardinals.

The Cardinals have 11 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, including six picks (Nos. 4, 27, 35, 66, 71, 90) in the first three rounds, and are set to lose wide receiver Marquise Brown in free agency.

The value of Johnson, who has 391 catches for 4,363 yards and 25 touchdowns in his first five seasons, is unknown. Things are also complicated after the Steelers' AFC North division rival Browns traded just a fifth- and sixth-round pick for former first-round WR Jerry Jeudy on Saturday.

If Johnson brings a similar price tag, it's highly unlikely that Pittsburgh would be willing to deal its former third-round pick in 2019.

However, if a team like Arizona would be willing to give up a third- or even second-round pick for Johnson, the Steelers may be willing to move on from him if they don't expect to re-sign him as he's heading into the final year of his deal.

If Pittsburgh does move on from Johnson, it will need to find his replacement. The free agent market isn't rich with wide receiver talent, but a fan-favorite name to watch is former Bengals WR Tyler Boyd, who played his collegiate ball at the University of Pittsburgh.

The Steelers could also turn to the draft to find their next playmaker to pair with WR George Pickens. They were one of several teams to meet with Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Odunze ranks as Pro Football Focus' third-best wide receiver and No. 7 overall prospect on its big board after posting 167 receptions for 2,785 yards and 20 touchdowns from 2022-23. So, it would take a trade up to land him.

Nonetheless, Pittsburgh has a big decision to make on Johnson in the coming days. If the Cardinals are willing to part with a day-two pick, it may just be enough for the Steelers to let him go.