Adam Schefter names Diontae Johnson, Za'Darius Smith as potential trade deadline targets

Adam Schefter provided some insight into which players could be on the move ahead of this year’s iteration of the NFL trade deadline.

According to the ESPN analyst, the Pittsburgh Steelers are on the hunt for a wide receiver, but they’ve had some tough luck, while a former Steeler in Diontae Johnson seems to be on the move from the Carolina Panthers, but don’t expect a homecoming.

“I think your Steelers would love to add a wide receiver Tone, I think that that’s certainly in play, but the problem is that every wide receiver that they keep looking at, you know, they wind up getting hurt,” Schefter said via The Pat McAfee Show, responding to a question from Tone Digs. “Christian Kirk, I think, might’ve been a guy that would’ve been on the Steelers’ radar. He breaks his collarbone yesterday, so he’s no longer a target. They can’t bring Diontae Johnson back there.

“Diontae Johnson, in my mind, is going to be traded by next week. I don’t know whether it’ll be this week or next week, but I expect that Carolina and Diontae Johnson will part ways and each side will go its own way. The question is where he ends up, and I think he gets traded.”

As for the defensive side of the football, Schefter noted Cleveland’s Za’Darius Smith could be on the move: “We keep waiting for Cleveland to trade Za’Darius Smith,” he added. “Another guy that I think will be on the lookout here to get traded. Those are some obvious names, as we speak. There will be others.”

Both players are veterans who could help a team immediately, while being stuck at a spot where they’re likely missing the playoffs at the moment. Perhaps a trade to a contender could light a fire under Diontae Johnson and Za’Darius Smith. We’ll see if they’re on the move ahead of next week’s deadline.