Not a lot of happy faces in the Carolina Panthers organization right now. They just benched their former top pick Bryce Young after only 18 games. It seems like that could lead to an eventual divorce after the season unless something changes in a hurry. Not everything is Young's fault, but at least the Panthers attempted to build some pieces around him.
They have a terrible roster for the most part. Despite a quality piece here and there, this team was expected to hold a top five-pick in the upcoming draft no matter how well Young did or not. One of the bigger moves the Panthers completed this offseason was a trade with the Steelers. They added a top receiver by acquiring Diontae Johnson for late-round draft swaps and Donte Jackson.
We are only heading into Week 3 of the NFL, but things seem shaky with the Panthers and any player on their team. Carolina's owner, David Tepper is not known for making good decisions and having a sense of patience, so there could be another upheaval across the organization if they can't win a couple of games here and there. With Young out of the lineup, it seems like Johnson's marriage with the Panthers could end soon.
Pittsburgh dealt Johnson after some poor play down the stretch of last season. The star receiver seemed disinterested in helping his team, and they decided to move him because of that. George Pickens was another big reason for this trade as the Steelers wanted him to be their top guy, and Johnson seemed to be a poor influence on the young receiver.
Jackson was a solid starter during his time with the Panthers, but it seems like the team around him sunk his performance. He has been terrific during the start of the season with the Steelers. He is the second outside cornerback opposite of Joey Porter Jr., and his speed has made a positive impact on Pittsburgh's defense. That player swap alone has been a gigantic win for the black and gold thus far.
When it comes to the pick swap, that could go either way, and we will see how those eventual draft picks play out. This has been an overwhelming win for the Steelers thus far, as Johnson and the Panthers get prepared for a terrible season ahead. That is bad news for Johnson as he remains on an expiring contract, and a big payday in free agency looks unlikely.
Perhaps the Panthers will trade Johnson for a second time within the year if they continue to struggle and want to get some value back. Any value in a trade would need Johnson to start to produce bigger numbers. He has only caught five passes off of 12 targets through two games for 34 yards. Those numbers are terrible, but Johnson and the Panthers will hope a new quarterback will turn things around.
