Wide receiver Diontae Johnson wasn’t on the Panthers last season, but he knows the year did not play out the way anyone in Carolina hoped.
The top of the list of things that didn’t pan out was quarterback Bryce Young. The first overall pick of last year’s draft failed to catch fire during his rookie season and the team is hoping that a change in head coaches and an offseason spent bolstering the roster sends things in a different direction.
Johnson fits into the heart of those plans. The Panthers traded cornerback Donte Jackson to the Steelers in exchange for the wideout and Johnson said on Tuesday that he knows he’s in Carolina to make Young better and “help him grow.”
“Just a guy that can get open, just give him a sense of comfort when he’s back there knowing he has a guy that can get open anywhere on the field,’' Johnson said, via David Newton of ESPN.com. “That’s what I’m here to do, to make plays.’'
Johnson is in the final year of his contract and said he’s “not worried about a contract extension now.” Forging a strong connection with Young would help on that front, so it makes sense that it is the top priority at this point in the offseason.