Proposed Trade Lands Lions Former First-Round Linebacker

Getty A proposed trade sent head coach Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions a former first-round linebacker Patrick Queen.

The Detroit Lions roster appears to be coming together at training camp. But that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from turning.

Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay suggested the Lions as a landing spot for Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen. Kay proposed Detroit trading a 2024 second-round pick to Baltimore in exchange for Queen.

“The Detroit Lions would be an ideal squad for Queen to sign his second NFL contract with. The Lions are on the cusp of contending after an extended period of rebuilding but still need some help at the linebacker spot,” Kay wrote. “While the club did use a first-round pick on Jack Campbell, the aging Alex Anzalone is projected to start alongside the rookie this year.

“Anzalone will turn 30 next season and only earned a 59.2 PFF grade last year.”

The Ravens drafted Queen at No. 28 overall in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. He is entering the final year of his rookie deal.

Last season, Queen posted 117 combined tackles, including 9 tackles for loss, with 14 quarterback hits, 5 sacks, 6 pass defenses and 2 interceptions.

Why the Ravens Could Trade LB Patrick Queen

A year ago, Queen appeared to be on a path to becoming Baltimore’s next great middle linebacker and a career member of the Ravens. That all changed, though, after the team traded for Roquan Smith.

Baltimore acquired Smith from the Chicago Bears for a second and fifth-round pick in 2023. Then at the end of the season, the Ravens signed Smith to a five-year, $100 million contract.

With Queen looking for a new deal after this season, it’s difficult to envision the Ravens dedicating a similar piece of their future cap space to another inside linebacker.

“With Smith locked in for the next half-decade, the Ravens may not have the cap space to keep Patrick Queen—their other elite linebacker—around as well,” wrote Kay.

The Ravens are expected to be contenders this season, so that makes a Queen trade less likely.

But Baltimore did draft linebacker Trenton Simpson in the third round. If the rookie impresses during the preseason, and the Ravens could decide they prefer compensation for Queen rather than letting him leave in free agency. Shopping Queen to the highest bidder on the trade market could lead to better compensation than a compensatory pick.

In three seasons, Queen has recorded 321 combined tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 27 quarterback hits, 10 sacks, 9 pass defenses, 4 forced fumbles and 3 interceptions.

How Queen Could Fit With the Lions

The Lions also drafted an inside linebacker in Jack Campbell during the first round. He is expected to start sooner rather than later.

But unlike the situation with the Ravens when they added Smith last season, the Lions don’t have to be concerned about paying two linebackers at the same time. Detroit could trade for an inside linebacker, extend that linebacker a new contract and have Campbell on his rookie deal for five years.

A trade for Queen could potentially give the Lions a formidable duo in their linebacker core.

“Pairing Queen and Campbell together would give the Lions a youthful linebacking corps brimming with upside,” Kay wrote. “With Campbell locked into an affordable rookie deal through at least the 2026 season, Detroit should have no problem extending Queen shortly after trading for him.

“It’s a shrewd move that will greatly assist the team in its quest to return to the playoffs this year and beyond.”

As Kay implied, a trade for Queen would likely push Alex Anzalone into a backup role. Anzalone has started 31 games for the Lions over the past two seasons, but he was more of a rotational player early in his career with the New Orleans Saints.

He could potentially benefit from returning to a similar role.

Anzalone never played more than 50% of New Orleans’ snaps on defense from 2017-20. During those seasons, he received an average Pro Football Focus player grade of 60.5.

In Detroit, he’s played at least 72% of the team’s defensive snaps each of the past two years. With that playing time, he’s posted an average PFF player grade of 47.3.