Patrick Queen had his best yr however with the Ravens remaining season, racking up a team-high 117 tackles, along with 9 for loss and 5 sacks. In a twist of irony, it moreover helped spell the tip of the linebacker’s future in Baltimore.
The Ravens on Monday declined Queen’s fifth-year alternative, which may make him a free agent following the season, his agent confirmed to The Baltimore Solar.
Baltimore had until Tuesday to make the selection. Had they picked up the selection, it might need worth $12.77 million.
That the Ravens didn’t determine up the selection for the 23-year-old was moreover not a shock.
Queen’s future was already uncertain after the Ravens traded with the Chicago Bears remaining season for All-Professional linebacker Roquan Smith, who earlier this yr signed a five-year extension with Baltimore for $100 million. Tying up further top-end money on the place was unlikely.
The twenty eighth common choose of LSU by the Ravens in 2020, Queen moreover struggled at situations. He misplaced his inside linebacker spot in 2021 and was moved to the weak side, and he carried out about 5 defensive snaps per sport fewer than he did as a rookie. Final season, nonetheless, he formed a dangerous duo alongside Smith after the midseason commerce.
However on Friday, the Ravens used their third-round determine on Clemson inside linebacker Trenton Simpson. Eight minutes later, Queen tweeted, “Sheesh.”
Ravens fundamental supervisor Eric DeCosta declined to debate Queen’s standing in the middle of the draft, saying solely, “I really like Patrick. Patrick is, in my thoughts, one of many higher [weakside] linebackers within the league. He’s good, he works his butt off, he has a shiny future. I feel he’s a Professional Bowl linebacker within the making. In Trenton, we get a man that was truthfully the perfect participant obtainable on the time.”
It merely gained’t be with the Ravens as Queen will hit free firm in March 2024, besides he’s traded sooner than then.
Whereas Queen didn’t keep as a lot as expectations — quarterback Lamar Jackson dubbed him Ray Lewis Jr. in 2020 — he has confirmed productive. Over the earlier three seasons, he steadily improved, collectively together with his Professional Soccer Focus grade going from 29.7 his rookie yr in 2020, to 43.5 in 2021, to 70 remaining season.
Together with Justin Houston, who led the Ravens in sacks with 9 1/2, Jason Pierre-Paul, Odafe Oweh, Tyus Bowser and Smith, the Ravens featured one among many league’s increased linebacker fashions remaining season. They’ve been considerably good in opposition to the run with Smith and Queen throughout the middle, score third throughout the NFL in dashing yards (1,566) and yards per carry (3.9) allowed.
After the Ravens’ highly effective 16-14 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 11, Smith was requested if he and Queen are the right linebacker duo throughout the league.
“I don’t assume that’s a query,” he acknowledged. “I feel we’re.”
Queen has been an enormous part of that. He, Smith and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner are the one players since 2020 to tally as a minimum 300 tackles, 10 sacks and three interceptions.
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