The Las Vegas Raiders have a few things to be concerned about heading into training camp this year. A lot of attention has been placed on the quarterback position, where the status of Jimmy Garoppolo is still up in the air.
Garoppolo signed a big contract with the Raiders in free agency, but upon taking his physical, it was discovered that he needed to undergo foot surgery that the franchise didn’t originally believe he needed. If he cannot pass a physical in the next few weeks, Las Vegas can get out of his contract.
That will leave a huge void in the lineup, but the team is confident that Garoppolo will be ready to go. Another position that the team should be concerned about heading into the offseason is on the defensive side of the ball.
There are depth concerns almost everywhere in that unit except in the pass-rushing department. As long as Maxx Crosby, Chandler Jones and rookie Tyree Wilson can get after the quarterback with regularity, they will cover up some of the deficiencies in the secondary. But, arguably the weakest position on the roster is at linebacker.
Robert Spillane was the only addition made as he will be replacing Denzel Perryman. This has been an area of need for a while now and the Raiders would be smart to address it should the opportunity present itself.
One perfect trade target for the Raiders to address this need would be Patrick Queen of the Baltimore Ravens. Queen looks to be on his way out of town, one way or another after the Ravens declined his fifth-year option. In the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, they also selected his potential successor, Trenton Simpson out of Clemson.
On top of that, Baltimore gave linebacker Roquan Smith a record-setting contract earlier this offseason. The writing is certainly on the wall and it is a situation that the Raiders should look to take advantage of.
Queen has been a dependable player for the Ravens, not missing a single game in three seasons. In 2022 he had the best season of his career, logging 117 combined tackles with nine tackles for loss. He was unleashed a little more as a pass rusher as well, recording a career-high 5.0 sacks and 14 quarterback hits.
A do-it-all linebacker that is turning only 24 in August is the exact kind of piece that the Raiders need to elevate their defense. Queen would make a worthwhile addition and it shouldn’t cost too much to land him given his contract status and standing with the Ravens.
