An interesting situation to follow during the 2023 NFL draft will be Patrick Queen and his contract. The Ravens have to decide whether or not to pick up his fifth-year option, which is a major decision.
Will Baltimore Ravens trade Patrick Queen in 2023 NFL draft?
Queen has not lived up to expectations, and the team decided to trade for Roquan Smith because they did not trust Queen as their man in the middle. It is true that Queen has improved next to Smith, but that may end up being what gets him traded for a decent haul.
The Ravens extended Smith this offseason, and they have to realize that picking up the fifth-year option for Patrick Queen is investing too much in the linebacker room. Essentially, they chose Smith knowing that this is the end of the road for them and Queen. One thing they can do is trade him.
The Ravens would love this because they have fewer picks than usual after the Smith trade. They have floated the idea of trading down to get a few more picks back. If they trade back and grab a pick or two, then trade Queen, they will have a pretty nice stable of picks.
It may help the Ravens that this is not a strong linebacker class. Jack Campbell, Drew Sanders, and Trenton Simpson are the top three options on most boards. Considering they are all on cheap deals, and Queen is going to be on the last year of his deal with the fifth-year option possibly making it two, you can say that all three will be better values than Queen.
However, after those three teams will seriously debate which of these linebackers can be a starter in the NFL. So, the fourth linebacker and his contract may be a fair trade for Patrick Queen on his current deal. According to most projections that would probably equal a third-round pick.
If the Ravens feel that the acquisition of Smith means that they can get cheaper at linebacker, they can take a third-round pick for Queen and take a player at a different position who could possibly get on the field. Then, the fifth-year option would not loom over the team, and the cap situation would clear up for 2024 and beyond.
Keep an eye on the Baltimore Ravens and Patrick Queen. Something could happen draft weekend.