Eric DeCosta Wants to Sign Patrick Queen to a Contract Extension

In a Year 3 breakout, Queen set career highs in tackles (117), sacks (5.0), interceptions (two) and passes defensed (six) last season. That run started before Smith arrived.

Once Smith came from Chicago mid-season, he and Queen combined to give Baltimore arguably the best inside linebacker duo in the NFL. The Ravens defense allowed just 14.7 points per game in the nine regular-season games after Smith came to Baltimore. He and Queen brought out the best in each other.

DeCosta sees that dynamic duo becoming a trio this upcoming season with Simpson chipping in his dynamic blend of athleticism to complement his veteran peers.

“The appealing thing is getting Trenton in here with everything he can do as a blitzer, on third downs, off the edge, his special teams ability,” DeCosta said. “It’s really just us adding another fast, physical, smart linebacker to the mix and giving us a chance on defense to be the best that we can be.”