The Dallas Cowboys‘ embarrassing 44-19 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, September 15, raised more than a few eyebrows, both with fans and those in the media. If franchise quarterback Dak Prescott is expected to succeed and help lead the Cowboys to a Super Bowl, he could likely use additional support on the offense, and one NFL expert is calling for the Cowboys to bring on a certain wide receiver from the Carolina Panthers to help Prescott.
Carolina Panthers’ Diontae Johnson ‘Could Be That Guy’
In a September 17 feature for Fansided, NFL writer and analyst Zach Pressnell says he believes Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson “could be that guy” to help out Dallas. In the story, he notes that the team’s “offense could use a few more weapons” and that “Dak really only has CeeDee Lamb and a few question marks to work with on offense.”
“The Cowboys front office needs to go out and make a splash in the trade market,” he stated. “Luckily for them, there’s a few teams that could be dealing their weapons before the trade deadline.”
While Pressnell says that Adam Thielen could also be a fit for the Cowboys, he writes that “Johnson, specifically, makes sense.” Johnson will be a free agent next offseason but could also make for a nice trade chip for Carolina.
Johnson “was added to the Panthers roster this offseason and his contract expires at the end of the season,” Pressnell added. “The Cowboys have a ton of extra draft capital that they could use to acquire him.”
As for stats, Johnson caught 107 passes for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns in 2021. While those numbers are nothing to wink at, Pressnell asserts that “in Dallas, he would excel as the wide receiver two with Dak Prescott throwing to him.”
“If Dallas wants to be a serious Super Bowl contender this year, they need to go after another weapon,” Pressnell added. “Diontae Johnson could be that guy.”
Back in March of this year, Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report also wrote that he believed Johnson could be a good “get” for the Cowboys. At the time, he noted that, “the Cowboys have a potential need at wide receiver,” and that has certainly proven to be true judging by the Saints loss.
Diontae Johnson Could Also Work for the Rams, Patriots
Not everyone thinks Johnson will head to the Cowboys. In a September 18 feature for Bleacher Report, Kristopher Knox names Johnson’s potential suiters as the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots.
“Receiver-needy teams could use Johnson, who caught 51 passes for 717 yards and five touchdowns as the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ No. 2 receiver last year,” Knox noted in the piece. “The Los Angeles Rams, who now have both Kupp (ankle) and Nacua (knee) on the injury list, could be at the forefront of interested teams,” Knox noted. “The New England Patriots may also want to consider pursuing Johnson.”
He added, “New England still lacks reliable receiver depth, but after a 1-1 start—and the Week 2 loss coming in overtime—the Patriots are more competitive than most expected.”
