Calling it a 'good move,' Mike Tomlin supported Steelers trading WR Diontae Johnson to Panthers

ORLANDO, Fla. — Kenny Pickett may have sought a “change of scenery” that led to his trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Coach Mike Tomlin, though, didn’t get the same feeling about wide receiver Diontae Johnson, the other prominent player the Steelers traded this offseason.

The Steelers sent Johnson, their most experienced pass catcher, to the Carolina Panthers in return for cornerback Donte Jackson. Johnson was entering the final year of his contract.

Asked whether he thought Johnson was frustrated with the organization, Tomlin responded, “I did not.”

“We got an opportunity to get D-Jack, a guy we valued several times since he’s been in the league,” Tomlin said on the first day of the NFL annual meeting. We needed some assistance and depth at that position, so we made the move. They needed Diontae, we needed D-Jack. It was a good move.”

Jackson fills the void at cornerback created by the release of Patrick Peterson and a desire not to retain free agent Levi Wallace. He will be paired with second-year corner Joey Porter Jr.

Conversely, the trade left the Steelers thin at wide receiver. George Pickens and Calvin Austin, each entering his third NFL season, are the only returning contributors from 2023. Van Jefferson was signed in free agency, but his best season was in 2022 when he had 50 catches for 802 yards.

“There are a lot of options there,” Tomlin said. “There are still a lot of capable guys on the market. The draft is unusually deep there and has been.”

The Steelers are expected to target a wide receiver on the first or second day of the draft.

Queen’s gambit

Tomlin raved about the Steelers signing inside linebacker Patrick Queen to a three-year, $41 million contract while also luring him away from division rival Baltimore.

Queen is the latest player the Steelers will try to solidify the position since Ryan Shazier’s spinal cord injury in 2017.

“He’s an all-situations linebacker. That is exciting,” Tomlin said. “He’s a guy who is a three-down player, a guy who can do a lot of things. He can tackle, cover, blitz and he’s 24 1/2 years old. He has a great combination of youth and experience. That is the reason we are excited about bringing him aboard. I can’t tell you how exciting it is because of familiarity.”

Queen was 1-7 against the Steelers during his four seasons with the Ravens.

Line dancing

The Steelers still haven’t signed a center in free agency, increasing the likelihood they will use their first-round or second-round pick to address the position. Top draft candidates are Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson and West Virginia’s Zach Frazier.

Nate Herbig, whose primary experience has been at guard, remains on the roster.

“We’ve got some work to do there,” Tomlin said, adding, “We’ll get something done at that position.”

Tomlin also isn’t ready to move 2023 first-round pick Broderick Jones back to left tackle. Jones started 10 of his 11 games last season at right tackle, while Dan Moore Jr. stayed on the left side.

“So much is ahead of us in terms of player acquisition,” Tomlin said. “Where any specific player ends up is subject to who else is on our roster.”