The Baltimore Ravens planned the departure of a free agent LB. Patrick Queen’s Last Offseason
The Baltimore Ravens have lost a large number of defensive players this offseason. Apparently, one of the biggest was not invited back.
After declining the fifth-year option on linebacker Patrick Queen’s rookie contract, which would have paid him $12.722 million, in what was perceived to be a cost-cutting decision, Baltimore did not make an offer to the LSU graduate in free agency.
On the second day of free agency, Queen signed a three-year contract with the rival Pittsburgh Steelers worth $13.67 million per year, the fifth-highest salary in the league among inside linebackers.
According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, the Ravens “made no effort this offseason” to re-sign Queen, and that a number of other players were likely prioritised ahead of him. One of those guys could have been defensive tackle Justin Madubuike.
On March 8, Madubuike signed a four-year, $98 million contract extension with the Ravens, bolstering the team’s interior defensive line for years.
The acquisition of linebacker Roquan Smith midway through the 2022 season could have signalled that they were ready to move on from Queen, but Smith’s five-year, $100 million contract extension shortly after the trade guaranteed Queen’s future elsewhere.
General manager Eric DeCosta selected linebacker Trenton Simpson, a prospective Queen replacement, in the third round of the 2023 draft, and it appears that Simpson will assume Queen’s defensive post in 2024.
The scenario could not have been written better, as Queen signed with Pittsburgh, the Ravens’ arch rival, and will play Baltimore twice per season for at least the next two years.
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