Two majors factors in a Patrick Queen extension talks

While most fans believe the Baltimore Ravens are ready to move Patrick Queen out the door, all of the talks out of Baltimore is that the front office is still working on an extension. However, when we looked into the possibility of an extension, and what it might cost for the Ravens, the idea became clear that while the Ravens may want to sign him, they may be preparing for life without him at the same time.

Two majors factors in a Patrick Queen extension talks

That is because Queen may be shooting for one price, while the Baltimore Ravens will be shooting for another. The big questions for Queen come down to his production and his age.

On the surface, his production looks great. He has over 300 tackles in three seasons, and beyond that, he has 10 sacks in that time as well. When you stack him up with some bigger names, he can at least get in the conversation.

More than that is his age. Queen is 23 and will be 24 when he is in the last year of his rookie season. There are players in this draft that were older. Even Jack Campbell, a first-round pick, is just a year younger than Queen. So, if Campbell was in the NFL two years ago, he may not be viewed as highly, but since he is coming in more mature, he is ready to go. The Baltimore Ravens had to deal with the growing pains for Queen, but now may be his best years.

Some names who signed contracts last year include Bobby Okereke, Germaine Pratt, TJ Edwards, and Dre Greenlaw. What is fascinating is that all of them will be in the same spot as Queen next year. They were free agents coming off of their rookie salary for the first time. However, the difference is that these players were all 26 or 27 this off-season when they signed deals. Patrick Queen will be two or three years younger on the open market.

So, the Baltimore Ravens will be using these names as comparisons for recent contracts. Patrick Queen's agent will be saying that the salary cap will go up, so Queen has to beat those, and Queen is at least two years younger, so the price may have to go up substantially. Or, the highest bidder will be taking a shot on the higher upside of a 24-year-old compared to your standard 27-year old free agent.

The Baltimore Ravens may not be lying when they say that they want to keep Patrick Queen, but they may also know that it is unlikely that they keep him because of the gap in value between them and Queen.