Though he spent his first four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, Patrick Queen certainly sounds glad to be a Steeler. Baltimore may have used a first-round pick on him, but the Steelers gave him $41 million, so that doesn’t hurt. But reviewing the course of the offseason, it feels like it’s more than that.
A year ago, Queen talked about how Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told him he wasn’t a Raven. At the time, he took offense to it, but now he sees it from a completely different light. As Tomlin recently said, it’s like he was drafted by the Steelers—and he hasn’t even played yet.
Speaking to Prospect Media recently during training camp, Patrick Queen answered a question about what games he is looking forward to this year. He gave an answer not dissimilar to one former Steeler Arthur Maulet gave about his old team.
“Every single one, but I think y’all know the ones that’s highlighted”, Queen said. And I think anybody who is familiar with the situation understands what he means. It’s the Steelers’ two games against the Baltimore Ravens he is looking forward to most.
And that’s not even about the Ravens, even if he laughs at how his former teammates can’t keep his name out of their mouths. It’s about how the Steelers and Pittsburgh have welcomed him, and how Baltimore said goodbye.
And, I’m sure, it’s also about “the narrative”. You probably already know what I mean: the idea that Roquan Smith made Patrick Queen. The Ravens acquired Smith midway into Queen’s third season, and most point to that as his transitional moment. A year later, he made his first Pro Bowl, and even earned a second-team All-Pro nod.
Now he is the man at the heart of the Steelers’ defense, and he has no “Batman” next to him. That’s no knock on Elandon Roberts, with whom he has already built a close bond. But Roquan Smith is one of the great off-ball linebackers of this era. Queen wants to prove that he is, too, and he has to do that out of Smith’s shadow.
He certainly has the talent to do that, with his speed being a dominant trait. Queen can play the run, rush the passer, and drop into coverage as well. You are probably not going to find a linebacker with a more complete skill set in the NFL right now.
And he only turns 25 on Aug. 15, so he could potentially lead this Steelers defense for years to come. Queen only signed a three-year contract, but if he is who they think, I don’t see them letting him get away. Is he their next James Farrior in a Ryan Shazier body? That’s what they are hoping for.
