Queen Reigns…For Now!

What is in the cards for Patrick Queen?

“With the 86th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Baltimore Ravens select Trenton Simpson, linebacker, Clemson.”

And with those words, Patrick Queen was officially put on notice.

But was he? Did the selection of the talented but raw Simpson signify the end of Queen’s time in Charm City? Is it just a matter of time now before Eric DeCosta lands a willing trade partner for the young linebacker, especially now that the team has decided to not pick up the fifth-year option on Queen?

I’d suggest a different strategy, at least for now.

Queen is an ascending talent, and that’s not just using the “eye test” that can be distorted by personal preferences and biases, as we all know. His impact on the field has improved every season since being selected as a 20-year-old phenom from then-National Champion LSU.

Look at his Pro Football Focus (“PFF”) numbers. His rookie season, which was filled with the kind of splash plays that made the Flock stand up and take notice, featured an overall score of 29.7, with a passer-rating allowed of 117.5. His second year, which kind of turned the court of public opinion against Queen for a bit with some glaring missed tackles at inopportune times, saw him post a score of 43.5, with that passer-rating number clocking in at 107.1. Last season Queen took a big jump, scoring 70.0 overall, and allowing a passing rating of 92.2. In fact, he was named the Ravens’ most improved player last season by PFF.

And those missed tackles that we love talking about so much when it comes to Queen? Well, per Pro Football Reference, Queen has also improved pretty dramatically in that metric, with his missed tackle percentage going from 16.5 percent his rookie season to 12.5 his sophomore campaign to 7.1 percent last year. To put that in perspective, All Pro linebacker Roquan Smith has ranged from 3.6 percent to 9.7 percent throughout his career.

Patrick Queen with a chip on his shoulder?

Watch out, #NFL. #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/z9YaHBap9u

— Nic Mason (@British_Raven19) May 1, 2023

Queen is an improving player, and he was showing that last season before the acquisition of Smith. Once his running mate arrived, however, Queen and the rest of the defense took a giant leap. Queen was not a solid linebacker who made some big plays from time to time when Smith arrived — he was a straight baller, and an integral part of what became a very good Ravens defense.

Look, Simpson is an exciting player. He has rare athleticism, has played in a ton of big games and it’s easy to see a world where he is an important part of the Ravens defense. But so was Queen when he came to town, and it took a few years for the processing and responsibilities of playing in a pro defense to come to light. It probably will for Simpson, as well.

For sure, it is not cost-efficient to lock up Queen to a big second contract, not after already committing so much money to Smith. Two linebackers making that big of a percentage of your cap is not good business. But they can afford to pay Queen what he is owed this year. It’s already part of their accounting, and they are ready to roll this season with Queen on the roster.

So, let him roll. Use this season to try to win. Queen has a year left on his deal. Odell Beckham Jr. has one year. The entire running back room is on its last contract year. Fire away and go for it, and having Queen and Smith in the middle of the defense would seem to aid those efforts of chasing a third ring for this organization.

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If Simpson develops faster than one should anticipate and a trade popped up that would involve Queen in return for a player who could push the Ravens over the top, go for it. He is valuable currency — a young player who has improved every year and has absurd athleticism.

But hang on to him now. See what Simpson has, and what he projects to be. There’s no need to push Queen out of town now that he has become the player the franchise hoped he would become when they invested a first-round pick on him.

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