Patrick Queen reacts to Ravens drafting ILB Trenton Simpson
After sitting out the entirety of the second round on Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Baltimore Ravens made their first selection of the night at pick No. 86 with Clemson inside linebacker Trenton Simpson.
Current Ravens inside linebacker Patrick Queen shared what appears to be his reaction to the selection on Twitter immediately after.
The 2020 first-round pick is entering his fourth season in the NFL. The Ravens have yet to pick up Queen’s fifth-year option but will have to come to a decision by next Monday. The former No. 28 overall pick’s fifth-year option would carry a cap hit of $12.7 million. With fellow inside linebacker Roquan Smith set to have a cap hit of $13.5 million for the 2024 season, Baltimore would be devoting a large amount of money to the position by exercising Queen’s option. During a press conference following the first round of the draft on Thursday night, general manager Eric DeCosta declined to comment on a decision regarding Queen’s fifth-year option.
Queen’s long-term future with the team was already looking bleak following two up-and-down seasons to start his NFL career. The situation only became murkier when the Ravens traded a 2023 second-round pick to the Chicago Bears in exchange for Smith. It did not take long for Baltimore and Smith to come to terms on a five-year extension worth up to $100 million.
Queen’s play improved drastically in 2022, even before the acquisition of Smith to go alongside him, but the Ravens will have to be careful with cap management considering quarterback Lamar Jackson’s massive new contract on the books for the foreseeable future.
Source: Baltimore Beatdown
