According to NFL reporter Tony Pauline, the Steelers would be willing to trade wide receiver Diontae Johnson if the price is right. What is the right price? That is all up for speculation at this point, but the fact this report is even going around should come as no surprise.
Here’s what Pauline had to say about the idea of Johnson being traded:
While it’s not fair to say Johnson is on the trading block, several people tell me the Steelers are open to moving the receiver if they receive fair compensation.
Sunday at the #NFLCombine: Insider notes on Chiefs' plan for Chris Jones, Diontae Johnson's Steelers future and more https://t.co/Z16CMCAENr
— Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) March 3, 2024
Two points here. First, what is a fair trade? I’d say a mid-third-round pick would get the deal done. Johnson is a great player, but his contract makes any trade challenging. Two factors hurt the Steelers’ leverage: He has a $16 million cap hit in 2024, and the acquiring team would have to re-sign him.
The second point is, that all you had to do was look at all the top receivers the Steelers met with at the NFL Scouting Combine and you could tell Pittsburgh is doing the prep work for replacing Johnson. The Steelers met with multiple receivers projected to go in the first two rounds. Will a trade happen? At this point, I’d say the odds are better than 50-50.
