Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Ravens 2024 Trade Now Considered Massive Whiff

Originally posted on Baltimore Ravens on SI
By Anthony Miller | Last updated Oct 21, 2025 9:45 AM ET

Looking back at some of the moves the Baltimore Ravens have made in their franchise's history, there have not been many misses in their history, but one stands out from the rest that they recently made.

ESPN's Seth Walder revisited the big trades from the 2024 season and regraded them on how they stood up a year later. The Ravens were included in their trade with the Carolina Panthers, which involved draft picks and wide receiver Diontae Johnson. It's safe to assume Baltimore instantly regretted the trade, as Walder had that trade go from being a grade of A last year to a grade of C now.

"I didn't understand this deal when it was made. Johnson was decent for Carolina (357 receiving yards in seven games), had previously demonstrated a high-end ability to get open and looked like a valuable addition to the Ravens' receiver room. And the cost to acquire him. a fifth- and sixth-round pick swap, was nothing compared to Johnson's talent."

"What I didn't know at the time was that Johnson was in the midst of flaming himself out of the league. After playing 39 snaps and having one reception for the Ravens, the team suspended him for a December game after he refused to enter the team's contest against the Eagles. Later that month, the Ravens waived him."

"In retrospect, it's clear there were off-field factors at play that led to Carolina deciding it was ready to move on. That explains not just the trade, but the return. This was clearly a failed deal for Baltimore, but the cost was minimal -- hence the "C" I handed it on the regrade."

Why the Ravens trade for Diontae Johnson didn't work out

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Ravens were looking for a solution as the number two pass catcher who would complement Zay Flowers well in the receiver room after Rashod Bateman injured his knee. Johnson was still playing at a good level and seemed like he was in a good spot to help them out.

During that season, the third leading wide receiver in receiving yards besides Flower and Bateman was Nelson Agholor, who had just 231 yards. Otherwise, Lamar Jackson was going more to his tight ends and even running back Justice Hill.

Baltimore was on the verge of being a Super Bowl contender and could not afford to have a locker room cancer do anything to jeopardize it. Johnson has since defended himself by saying he didn't want to go into the game after not having played through three quarters. The Ravens knew they would have to eat up their mistake when they released Johnson, as it became one of the quickest failed experiments ever.

Even now, in 2025, they are still feeling the effects of not having a reliable number three receiver. DeAndre Hopkins was looked at as a WR2B, while Bateman was WR2A. Neither guy has really exploded onto the scene, with quarterback issues playing a key role.

This is one trade the Ravens would like to move on from and never acknowledge again. It was a bad move that the team must avoid making moving forward.

This article first appeared on Baltimore Ravens on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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