The Baltimore Ravens defense will look much different in the 2024 season, as it will be impossible to bring back all of the veteran pieces that made up one of the most ferocious units from last season. Former first-round selection Patrick Queen may have played his last game in Ravens purple.
Queen, a first-round pick in 2020 after a sterling career at LSU, has had an up-and-down tenure in Baltimore, though he picked a tremendous way to close out his rookie contract. Queen is now slated to hit free agency off one of the finest seasons of his career at a time when the linebacker market is quite thin.
While bringing him back would normally be a slam-dunk move, the Ravens' precarious financial situation means they need to be very judicious about who they will retain in 2024 and beyond. Queen is going to command a huge contract, and they won't be able to pay him and multiple key role players at the same time.
If the Ravens are going to part ways with Queen and let an in-house replacement like Trenton Simpson replace him, they need to watch for one of these three teams to possibly steal him away. If they want him back, Eric DeCosta better be prepared for an all-out bidding war for his services.
3 teams who could steal Patrick Queen from Baltimore Ravens.
3. Washington Commanders
Queen may not get a better chance in his professional career to cash in with a big contract, and his next spot might be determined by who ends up as the highest bidder. The local rivals over in DC have more cap space than anyone in the league, making them a prime landing spot for many of the biggest available names.
Dan Quinn knows the importance of great linebackers who can cover ground and hit hard, which makes him a natural Queen seeker irrespective of where he ended up. Washington's defense was so bad last season that Queen could be viewed as the herald of tangible change in the nation's capital.
Will Ravens LB Patrick Queen join the Washington Commanders?
Both Cody Barton and Khaleke Hudson are free agents, and former first-round pick Jamin Davis hasn't exactly been the second coming of London Fletcher in DC. Linebacker is a critical need on a Commanders squad that needs just about everything, and Queen could be at the top of the list.
Queen is a 24-year-old Pro Bowl player who could be at the top of this free agency class. If the Commanders are willing to go five years on his contract, there's a slight chance his deal approaches nine figures. The Ravens have so many free agents to bring back that such a heavy contract would be ill-advised.
2. Philadelphia Eagles
That shrill screaming you can hear in the distance is the Eagles fanbase still complaining about how this season ended. One of the biggest issues in this team was personnel-related, as their defense was let down by both poor schematic decisions and some very poor play from the linebacker position.
Zach Cunningham and Shaq Leonard failed to make the veteran impact that many thought they would, and Nakobe Dean is by no means a sure thing for next year. With Nick Sirianni on his last legs after firing both his top coordinators, the Eagles need to spend big to make sure their defense is up to par.
Patrick Queen could leave the Baltimore Ravens for the Philadelphia Eagles
Howie Roseman has shown that he will be more than willing to defer money and move contracts around his balance sheet if he wants to bring in a player he has identified as a difference-maker. With their depth and overall defensive structure nowhere close to what Baltimore has, Philly might be willing to overpay.
Queen is not a perfect player, but his speed and tenacious play will make him instantly the best linebacker on the team. The Ravens will give him a shot to compete for championships, but Philadelphia might have an easier path in what is a considerably weaker NFC in 2024.
1. Seattle Seahawks
It's a tale as old as time. A hot new assistant coach (in this case, former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald) joins a new team as head coach, and he wants to populate his roster and coaching staff with familiar faces. This could make for a Queen reunion in the Pacific Northwest.
Bobby Wagner is more of a name than a high-end linebacker in 2024, and Jordyn Brooks is also a free agent. Macdonald's scheme can be a bit complex for a young Seattle defense, and getting Queen right in the middle could be one way to help the defense maintain the shape it showed in Baltimore.
Patrick Queen could join former Ravens DC Mike Macdonald with the Seahawks
Seattle is currently over the cap and will need to subtract to get the money needed to pay Queen, but Macdonald could make a compelling case to John Schneider that he needs one of his top former players to install the defensive vision he was hired to execute.
Queen is always going to be the No. 2 in Baltimore, as the emergence of Roquan Smith as arguably the best linebacker in the AFC will make him more of a supplementary piece. Not only could Seattle give him the money he wants, but he could have an expanded role.