Getty The Eagles could be a potential landing spot for Ravens LB Patrick Queen.
The Philadelphia Eagles could be the perfect landing spot for a bold trade proposal.
As suggested by Philly Voice’s Shamus Clancy, the Eagles could seek a Super Bowl run “rental” by acquiring Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen. In this trade scenario, the Eagles would acquire Queen in exchange for a 2024 fifth-round draft pick.
The Ravens recently declined Queen’s fifth-year option on his rookie contract for the 2024 season, leading to speculation that Baltimore could seek to trade the linebacker.
Why the Eagles Could Use Patrick Queen
Clancy argues that Nakobe Dean’s lack of experience — he played just 34 defensive snaps last season — should motivate the Eagles into potentially acquiring Queen, who led the Ravens with 122 tackles last year.
“It may be too early to just assume that Nakobe Dean can come in and be the Eagles’ unquestioned No. 1 linebacker after playing just 34 defensive snaps during his rookie year,” writes Clancy. “The team wants him to succeed and take this role, but I’m not quite sure he’s ready. He has a sky-high football IQ, but I need to see how he adjusts to the physicality of the NFL. Bringing in Queen to be the “green dot” linebacker while having Dean be the No. 2 LB could be a nice pathway to having Dean be the top dog in 2024.”
Dean is the projected starting middle linebacker, with former sixth-round pick Shaun Bradley — who has 45 career tackles to his name — the only listed backup. In fact, the Eagles have eight outside linebackers on the roster, but only two middle linebackers.
As far as Queen is concerned, he’s been one of the top young linebackers in the NFL since Baltimore used a first-round pick on him back in 2020. He finished third in AP Defensive Rookie of the Year voting after leading the Ravens with 106 tackles during the 2020 season. He followed that up by leading the Ravens in tackles during the 2021 season with 98 tackles. In other words, he’s led Baltimore in tackles for three consecutive seasons.
According to Pro Football Focus, Queen posted a solid 70.0 defensive grade and 68.2 grade in coverage last season. However, despite his impressive tackle totals, the advanced analytics show Queen actually struggled on the field over his first two seasons. Queen’s 29.7 defensive grade and 30.0 grade in coverage during his rookie season were extremely low, with his grades ranking last among linebackers with at least 500 snaps.
Eagles Could Use Patrick Queen as 1-Year Rental
With that being said, Queen is coming off of an impressive 2022 season. However, the Ravens may not be inclined to signing the young linebacker to a big-money contract with money currently tied up to fellow linebacker Roquan Smith. Smith is currently in the midst of a five-year, $100 million contract that makes him the highest-paid linebacker in NFL history.
“Baltimore has declined the Queen’s fifth-year option for 2024,” writes Clancy. “After giving the bag to Roquan Smith, the Ravens likely didn’t want to pour more big money into the linebacker position. For a team thin as always at LB, a rental for Queen for a Super Bowl run could be more enticing to Roseman rather than drafting another backer on Day 2 or handing out a big-money free agent deal. ”
If the Eagles are seeking an upgrade at the middle linebacker position, Queen is likely their best option for the 2023 season.