Why not? And what’s next?

Both reactions apply to Tuesday’s news that the Baltimore Ravens have agreed to trade a 2025 fifth-round pick to the Carolina Panthers for talented but erratic wide receiver Diontae Johnson and a 2025 sixth-rounder. The Panthers, who clearly wanted Johnson gone, also agreed to pay a portion of his salary, meaning the Ravens owed the receiver approximately $625,000 for the remainder of the season.

If the Ravens (5-3) and Panthers (1-7) continue their current trajectory, the difference between the fifth- and sixth-round picks could be much less than 20 spots midway through Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft. . So for that small price and a modest salary that won’t have a significant impact on the team’s tight salary cap situation, the Ravens get a wide receiver who can get open, create big plays and potentially help in a bounce-back game that’s pretty much it non-existent all year.

That’s where the “why not” comes into play. The Ravens essentially gave up almost nothing to find a guy who can help them offensively and possibly on special teams.

The wide receiver didn’t come close to addressing Baltimore’s biggest need. Zay Flowers is on pace for an 87-catch, 1,120-yard season. Rashod Bateman is on pace to reach career highs in receptions and yards, and his three touchdowns are already a career high. No. 3 receiver Nelson Agholor has just 22 targets all season, but Lamar Jackson has shown over the past two seasons that he has confidence in the veteran who beat star cornerback Denzel Ward for a touchdown in Sunday’s loss to the Cleveland Browns.

The Ravens have used their 11-man personnel, which means three receivers on the field, less than 30 percent of the time this season. Tight ends Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and even Charlie Kolar have been involved in the pass offense, as has No. 2 running back Justice Hill. So it’s not like Jackson was hurting for the guys when they threw the ball to him when general manager Eric DeCosta made this move.

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Todd Monken’s offense was efficient, balanced and dynamic. The Ravens rank first in the NFL in offensive DVOA (defense-adjusted value above average), and Jackson is fifth in the league in passing yards. They also run with the ball at a leading clip.

However, Johnson gives the Ravens another option for defenses to consider. The 28-year-old had 30 catches for 357 yards and three touchdowns in seven games for the struggling Panthers. In the previous five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Johnson averaged 78 catches and 873 receiving yards per year.

Johnson can get a divorce. He can beat man-to-man coverage. He also has extensive experience within AFC Noord. With this move, the Ravens have at least significantly improved their depth and better protected themselves in the event one of their top pass catchers goes down with a multi-week injury.

The only downside would be if Johnson, a pending free agent, complained about his role. Baltimore’s current group of pass catchers have had to embrace an unselfish approach in an offense that relies heavily on Jackson and Derrick Henry’s running ability and spreading the ball through the air. Six Ravens players have more than 10 catches.

Flowers, Bateman, Andrews and Likely have all had games this season where they only scored one or two goals. To put that in perspective, Johnson is aiming for an average of more than eight goals per game in Carolina. It seems unlikely he would reach that number consistently with the Ravens. Johnson hasn’t been shy in his previous stops in complaining about touches, opportunities or quarterback play. He has also been criticized at several points for drops and not completing plays.

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That clearly won’t work with a cohesive Ravens team and within a tight and loose locker room, so there is potential for volatility with this arrangement. However, the Ravens have a history of bringing in outspoken guys with significant personalities and seeing those players flourish within the culture of the organization. Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. had no problem embracing it last season, even if he never got the touches he so desperately wanted.

If that’s the biggest risk here, it’s worth taking. And did we mention the Ravens gave up virtually nothing?

That’s where the ‘what’s next’ comes into play. If the Ravens get the maximum number of four compensatory picks, as they are expected to get, they will still own a whopping 11 selections in the 2025 NFL Draft. So this deal with Carolina doesn’t affect the flexibility to trade more draft capital before the November 5 deadline if they so choose.

And since they’re on the hook for very little of Johnson’s salary, it won’t be too prohibitive if the Ravens look to add another contract via a trade. The Ravens entered Tuesday with just under $4 million in salary cap space, according to the NFL Players Association’s Public Salary Cap Report, so that adds an element of difficulty to getting a deal done.

But Tuesday’s acquisition won’t significantly hinder the team’s efforts to add another piece, and it’s become quite clear that help is needed on the other side of the ball. The Ravens pass defense has been a mess for most of the season. They don’t put constant pressure on the quarterback. There are weekly coverage disruptions and communication problems. An already thin defensive line has recently been hit by injuries.

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Before Tuesday, it was widely believed that if the Ravens were to make a deal — and DeCosta always wants to be in the trade mix before the deadline — it would involve adding a pass rusher or defensive back. The addition of Johnson doesn’t change the team’s ability to do that.

If DeCosta’s only move at 4 p.m. next Tuesday was acquiring Johnson, it would be fair to wonder why the struggling defense was neglected. But now? There’s not much to ask about the Johnson deal, other than why not, and what next?

(Photo: Jacob Kupferman / Associated Press)