Since the tragic injury to linebacker Ryan Shazier away in Cincinnati during the 2017 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have struggled to find a solution for the inside linebacker position.
To the Steelers’ credit, they certainly tried and looked everywhere for answers – in the draft, in free agents and even in trades.
They seem to have found that answer this offseason, as they’ve looked south of Baltimore. The Steelers made a big splash in the free agent space by signing veteran linebacker Patrick Queen to a three-year, $41 million deal, poaching him from their AFC North rival, the Baltimore Ravens.
While the off-ball linebacker position may not be as valuable in today’s game, it is still a key part of the Steelers’ 3-4 defense, so expectations are high for Queen.
Pro Football Focus’ Steve Palazzolo, who appeared on 93.7 The Fan PM Show with co-hosts Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller on Thursday, believes Queen can do great things at linebacker for the Steelers in 2024 and beyond, even without a talent like Roquan Smith alongside him on defense.
“Yeah, I mean, if he continues like he did in Baltimore. I think he looked like a completely different player in the last year, year and a half with the Ravens,” Palazzolo said of Queen, according to a video from 93.7 The Fan on YouTube. “Again, you have to say, how much of this is Mike MacDonald’s scheme? How much of this is Roquan Smith? But Queen is incredibly athletic, has great range in coverage and has some tackling issues to iron out when he’s flying down the field. But I think he has a lot of potential.
“I thought he had a lot of potential when he was a first-round pick out of LSU. At times early in his career, he looked a little lost. Tackling was a problem again, but with his reach and athleticism, I think he could do great things as a linebacker.”
The Steelers expect big things from Queen at the inside linebacker position, and they made a big splash in free agency by deviating from their normal approach to sign the second-team All-Pro linebacker.
Steelers GM Omar Khan called the decision to sign Queen before training camp a “no-brainer,” and Queen has done nothing to hinder those positive thoughts.
Queen easily becomes the best linebacker the Steelers have had off the ball since the Shazier days. Those are big shoes to fill, but overall, Queen fits perfectly.
Last season with the Ravens, Queen was dominant, recording 133 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and an interception, earning him second-team All-Pro honors. He is a true run-and-hit linebacker who plays against the run and can drop back into coverage, giving him the ability to play in all situations.
At just 24 years of age, he seems to have his best years as a Queen’s League football player ahead of him and hopefully he will soon achieve that with the Black and Golds in a position that was still in great demand at the beginning of the season break.
If he can continue to play at a high level and overcome the concerns of not having Smith by his side, Queen could establish himself as one of the best off-ball linebackers in the NFL and the Steelers defense will do great things in the process.
