As soon as the trade for Diontae Johnson was finalized, Nelson Agholor FaceTimed the Ravens' new wide receiver. After Johnson's first practice ended, they were discussing where he was going to stay the night.
The Ravens have a good thing going at wide receiver with Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and Agholor. So when news broke that Baltimore was trading for Johnson, there were questions about how he would fit in – both from a football and vibes perspective.
Take a report from NFL insider Josina Anderson as an indication. She reported that Agholor is going to host Johnson at his house. Asked whether that's true, Agholor smiled.
"He will be housed," he said. "We spend a lot of time in each other's house organically already."
Agholor and Johnson are both from Tampa, Fla. Separated by three years (Agholor is 31 and Johnson is 28), they got to know each other through youth sports during their teenage years and went to high schools on opposite sides of town. They've stayed close and trained together in offseasons.
"He's like a little brother to me," Agholor said. "Little league football, high school, all that, I just watched him go out [and ball]. I've known him for some years now – many years."
The Ravens are Johnson's third team in six NFL seasons. The Steelers, who originally drafted him in the third round in 2019, signed him to a two-year contract extension before the 2022 season but traded him in March to the Carolina Panthers. Johnson played seven games for the Panthers before they dealt him, even though he led them in every major receiving category.
Johnson will be a free agent this offseason, but he's looking for a taste of home in Baltimore. He’s plugging into to an already a strong Florida connection with Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Flowers, and Agholor hailing from the Sunshine State.
"I want nothing but the best for him," Agholor said. "He's a great player, but he's also a quality person that I think will help us and be a part of our journey here.
"I know for a fact that I'm in his corner. Whatever experiences happened before, I'm there for him first as friend and family and then as a teammate. Friend and family first to keep him feeling the love and appreciation so he can just focus on ball."
It's not easy to switch cities, step into a new locker room, and learn a new offense. Johnson said the Ravens have him learning two wide receiver spots currently. It remains to be seen how soon he can make an offensive impact, but having Agholor in his corner will speed it up.
"It helps a lot," Johnson said. "Him being able to teach me what's going on here, what to expect. He knows me. To have that brotherly love is great. He's someone I can go to whenever I need something."
From a football perspective, Johnson could eat into Agholor's targets. Being the professional that he is, Agholor looks to make the most of whatever opportunities he gets. He's played 48% of the offensive snaps so far this season.
Agholor and Flowers see a player that will not take away, but boost what Baltimore already has in the wide receiver room.
"He's really good with what we do – create separation," Agholor said. "These guys – especially him, Bate, and Zay – are such young, talented, shifty dudes that I think are pretty awesome. To add another guy like that for how we added them, I'm grateful."
"He's a perfect fit. He moves just like us," Flowers said. "You can't have too many weapons."
Agholor said having Jackson as his quarterback will make a big difference for Johnson, who has had Bryce Young, Andy Dalton, Kenny Pickett, and Mitch Trubisky as his quarterbacks the past couple years.
"That's always the one thing that everybody doesn't realize," Agholor said. "In a quarterback like Lamar, that's not only a great quarterback, but also a great teammate that makes you feel at home, that allows you to be the best version of you."
Johnson said he's taking it one day at a time, trying to pick up Baltimore's offense and fit in where he can. After the Ravens play the Broncos Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium, Johnson will see some familiar faces when Baltimore faces the Bengals and Steelers in back-to-back weeks.
"I'm looking forward to [the Steelers] game, but I'm focused on right now," Johnson said. "Whatever game comes first before we get to that point – I'm going to do my job and just keep preparing."
