Patrick Queen stood on the microphone adjoining to the Ravens’ follow area in Owings Mills on Thursday fielding questions on his future in Baltimore. Nearby, basic supervisor Eric DeCosta jogged up a set of stairs main into the places of work of proprietor Steve Biscotti’s fortress.
For now, Queen stays a Raven. For how lengthy stays to be seen.
Last month, the Ravens declined Queen’s fifth-year possibility, making the 23-year-old a free agent after this season — if he isn’t traded or signed to an extension earlier than then.
“It’s a blessing in disguise,” Queen mentioned throughout voluntary organized staff actions Thursday. “You see guys go either side of it and receives a commission both manner.
“I’m not focused on the future. I’m focused on right now. If I take care of my business, all of that will fall into place.”
It simply may not be in Baltimore.
While the Ravens’ resolution to say no Queen’s possibility was something however a shock, it was maybe telling.
Last season, Baltimore traded with the Chicago Bears for All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith. In January, Smith signed a five-year extension reportedly price $100 million. A month later, Queen scrubbed all mentions of the Ravens from his social media accounts.
Then in April, Baltimore spent a third-round draft decide on Clemson linebacker Trenton Simpson. Minutes later, Queen tweeted, “Sheesh.”
The writing appears to be on the wall, figuratively and actually.
Had the Ravens picked up Queen’s possibility, it will have include a $12.7 million price ticket in 2024. Should he have one other season just like the one he simply had — when he set profession highs in tackles (117), sacks (5), quarterback hits (14), interceptions (two) and passes defended (six) — tying up extra top-end cash on the place would probably be prohibitive for Baltimore.
Still, DeCosta insists that he needs to attempt to get the 2020 first-round select of LSU signed to an extension, although that may show simpler mentioned than performed.
“People want to jump to conclusions [and say], ‘Oh [Simpson] is going to replace Patrick,’” DeCosta mentioned final month. “I can let you know this: Patrick Queen had a helluva yr final yr. Patrick Queen is a really proficient, in my thoughts, Pro Bowl-type linebacker. He’s going to have an amazing yr this yr.
“We want Patrick Queen on this team; we want to keep him on this team. We will, at some point, try to get him signed, hopefully, to an extension if we can.”
Whatever occurs, Queen mentioned his focus is on simply attempting to be the very best participant he can. So far, that’s been fairly good.
Though he hasn’t lived as much as quarterback Lamar Jackson’s hype of being “Ray Lewis Jr.,” he has proven regular enchancment every of his first three years in Baltimore, together with his Pro Football Focus grade climbing each season. That included going from a 43.5 total mark in 2021 to 70 final season.
Yet, he has additionally struggled now and again. In 2021, Queen misplaced his inside linebacker spot to 32-year-old veteran Josh Bynes and was moved to the weak aspect. He additionally performed about 5 fewer snaps per recreation that season than he did in 2020.
Smith’s midseason arrival final yr definitely helped, and now the 2 can have a whole offseason collectively.
“I put as the best two linebackers, no discussion about it,” mentioned Queen, who added that he’s all the way down to about 230 kilos in an effort to be in higher form and end video games stronger. “If you turn on the tape, you’ll see.”
He’s not far off. Over the ultimate eight weeks of final season, PFF graded Queen because the Tenth-best off-ball linebacker within the league.
But that catch-22 is precisely what may in the end make him expendable, one thing he’s needed to come to grips with though he says he’d like to remain in Baltimore.
“Anything in life, you go through emotions,” Queen mentioned. “And at the end of the day, it may take some others longer to get over it, and I just had many talks from many people and different outlooks on it.”
That included the entrance workplace, Queen mentioned, including that they let him know the way they really feel.
“This is where I want to play,” Queen mentioned.
For now, that’s all he can fear about.
()
Source: www.bostonherald.com