3 Worst Offseason Moves From the Browns' AFC North Rivals
By Jovan Alford
2. Steelers Moving on From Diontae Johnson
The veteran receiver had a frustrating end to his Steelers’ career, but he was their long-tenured wide receiver and one of their top pass-catching options. With Johnson off to Carolina, the Steelers will put all their eggs into George Pickens’ basket and likely address the position in the draft.
Without Johnson, the Steelers wide receiver core is George Pickens, Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins, Calvin Austin, Denzel Mims, etc.
It will be hard for Pittsburgh to replace Johnson’s production, who had 51 receptions (87 targets) for 717 yards and five touchdowns last season. Johnson has scored 25 touchdowns in his NFL career and is one of the better route runners in the NFL.
However, the biggest issue with Johnson is his consistency, which Carolina hopes will improve this coming season. The Steelers will need their wide receiver unit to step up as the AFC North features a couple of good defenses that can get after the quarterback.