Who Should I Start? Keenan Allen or Diontae Johnson

Monday, March 25, 2:51 PM

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles said he thinks a long-term contract extension will come "down the road" for new wide receiver Keenan Allen, who is entering the final year of a four-year deal in 2024. "I try to be intentional with the order that we do extensions, so we'll review that and kind of see what our order looks like. But for what he stands for, I would love to have him long term," Poles said. The Bears might look to lock up DJ Moore first, but Chicago wants to keep their one-two punch of Moore and Allen around in the Windy City long term for USC quarterback Caleb Williams, who the Bears are expected to take first overall in the upcoming NFL draft. Despite missing the last four games in 2023 with an injury, Allen had a career-high 108 catches for 1,243 yards and seven TDs in 13 games for the Bolts. However, his numbers could come down in his first year in Chicago while sharing the load with Moore with a rookie QB likely running the offense.

Wednesday, July 3, 6:35 PM

The Carolina Panthers made no move to extend wide receiver Diontae Johnson after trading for the former Pittsburgh Steelers wideout in March, as they prefer to see whether he emerges as the explosive, coverage-separating pass-catcher that quarterback Bryce Young and the offense lacked in 2023. If Johnson proves he's a difference-maker in his first year in Carolina and if he doesn't become a distraction when the ball doesn't come his way, he could be set to cash in next offseason in a receiver market that has exploded in recent years. The 27-year-old disappointed as Pittsburgh's top receiver last year, catching a career-low 51 passes for 717 yards and five touchdowns. Johnson will now be competing with veteran Adam Thielen for targets in what was the worst offense in the league last year. Most of Johnson's fantasy value will be tied to how much Young improves in Year 2. Consider Johnson a low-end WR3/high-WR4 target in fantasy drafts.