Ravens charged with making one of the worst NFL trades in last 10 years

Mike Masala

Ravens charged with making one of the worst NFL trades in last 10 years image

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Ravens haven't exactly been the most active team when it comes to non-Draft Day trades since Eric DeCosta took over as the general manager for Ozzie Newsome in 2019.

In fact, they've only made seven trades where they've acquired a veteran player in the deal since in the last six years. Those trades have mostly brought back solid players, including Roquan Smith, Marcus peters, Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue.

However, even DeCosta has come up short in some deals, as Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox is calling the trade for wide receiver Diontae Johnson last year one of the worst trades of the last decade.

Johnson, 28, spent his first five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, catching 391 passes for 4,363 yards and 25 touchdowns while making one Pro Bowl and one All-Pro team.

In 2024, Pittsburgh traded Johnson to the Carolina Panthers, and he caught another 30 passes for 357 yards and three scores through seven games before they traded him to the Baltimore Ravens (along with a 2025 sixth-round pick) for a 2025 fifth-round pick.

Johnson appeared in four games for Baltimore and made one reception for just six yards before he was suspended by the team for refusing to play in the team's Week 13 battle with the Philadelphia Eagles.

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The wideout was cut after his suspension, and the Houston Texans claimed him. In one game with Houston, he caught two passes for 12 yards before they released him.

Baltimore claimed Johnson off waivers, but he didn't play the rest of the year before signing a one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns this offseason.

While the Ravens didn't give up a ton to bring Johnson in, they got much more of a headache than they got in production from him on the field. From that standpoint, the deal was a clear loss for DeCosta and company. However, calling this trade one of the worst deals of the last decade, considering the return, may be a bit of a stretch.

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Mike Masala

Mike Masala previously served as the Managing Editor of USA TODAY's Dolphins Wire as well as a contributing writer at Patriots Wire. A lifelong New England resident, he is the self-proclaimed captain and lone member of the Laurence Maroney Fan Club. Follow on Twitter/X: @Mike_Masala