Former Steelers Teammates Definitely Think Team Should Fulfill Linebacker Need With Ravens' Patrick Queen

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a serious inside linebacker problem. Ever since up-and-coming superstar Ryan Shazier went down with a spinal cord injury, the team has struggled to find someone to fill his cleats. The organization has brought in a string of potential replacements, but none of them have even come close to having the ball-hawking abilities that Shazier did. After dealing with another round of busts and injuries, the team may have to look at the offseason to find someone new once again.

In an unusual move, the Steelers moved up to draft Devin Bush out of University of Michigan in the first round in 2019. However, he tore his ACL during his second season and was never the same player after that. After letting Bush move on after the 2022 season, the team brought in several new options including Elandon Roberts, Cole Holcomb, and Kwon Alexander. 

The Steelers Contracted A Linebacker Problem 

Things seemed to be going really well with the three new linebackers and fans started to unclench a little, thinking we might have found the answer to the team's linebacker problem. Scroll ahead to November and that all went away in the blink of an eye. Holcomb suffered a knee injury and was ruled out for the rest of the season, and Alexander tore his Achilles, also being ruled out for the year.

On top of all of that, Roberts was banged up. He suffered a painful pectoral injury, but refused to let that stop him. Somehow, he was cleared to play and did everything in his power to help his team win their Wild Card game. Roberts played himself into being a fan favorite due to his optimistic attitude and incredible work ethic.      

Now, two former Steelers linebackers, Arthur Moats and Terence Garvin, said they think Pittsburgh should go after the Baltimore Ravens linebacker, Patrick Queen. On Moats' podcast, The Arthur Moats Experience, Moats asked Garvin if he thinks the team should consider Queen. 

"Yeah, I'd pay for Patrick Queen. I like Patrick Queen," said Garvin.

Garvin does acknowledge that the team has other needs, they need help on the line too. Moats said he is worried that Queen might cost too much, maybe $15 million a year, although he believes he is really a $10 million guy.

The Ravens recently won the Divisional Round of the playoffs and will soon face the Kansas City Chiefs in the Conference Championship. Garvin cautions that the longer the Ravens stay in it, the more expensive Queen will get. He thinks he will land somewhere for about $10 million to $12 million. 

"Consider the value of the position though," added Garvin. "It's like a defensive running back. They don't value it like that unless it's special and this fall in that category."

Garvin and Moats both like Queen's age and experience. At 24, he will be 25 in August 2024. Queen is young enough to continue to play well, but not so young that he needs a ton of support. The Ravens nabbed Queen out of Louisiana State University in 2020. 

"At 24, I'm trying to get that," laughs Garvin. "I got him for at least the next six, bro just stay healthy.

The bigger concern to Moats is how you free up money for Queen. The Steelers are currently way over the cap limit for the 2024 season. This has people speculating on how they can cut. 

One of the first names that keeps getting bounced around as a potential player to release, is defensive lineman and captain, Cam Heyward. Heyward is a big cap hit for 2024 at almost $22.5 million. It is not unheard of for players to take a pay cut to help their team retain other talent. On his own podcast, Heyward recently scoffed at the people who were suggesting he take a pay cut. But Garvin said that is just bluster, saying you got to "bark like that" before negotiations.   

Queen is exactly the kind of player the Steelers need. He plays that angry brand of smashmouth football the Steelers love. The Ravens have a punishing defense, so Queen also knows exactly what it takes to be successful. He finished the 2023 regular season with a career-high 133 tackles, six pass breakups, 3.5 sacks, and one interception. 

Queen has a high football IQ and has shown tremendous growth each of his seasons. Baltimore declined the fifth-year option on Queen's contract, which means he will be a free agent. Spotrac projects his market value to be $92.6 million over five years, but Moats and Garvin think he can be gotten cheaper than that. 

What do you think about Queen coming to the Steelers? Click to comment below. 

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