Baltimore Ravens: Trading for Roquan Smith Would Cement Status as Top Defense
By Andrew Kim
If the Ravens make a trade before the deadline this season, one that makes sense is trading for Bears’ linebacker Roquan Smith. Pairing him up with Patrick Queen would give them a star-studded tandem in Baltimore.
Other than signing or trading for a wide receiver, which may happen anyway through free agency, Baltimore needs to address the linebacker position this coming season. They need more success from the group in order to hear their name among the best in the league. Patrick Queen is a solidified starter, but early on last year, it was clear he struggled with some of the responsibilities as the MIKE linebacker. He switched to WILL linebacker full-time, where he was clear of some of the on-field communication duties and could roam around more.
However, in the later part of the season after shifting to a different linebacker spot, Queen showed much-needed growth and improvement as the year came to a close. Still, compared to his rookie year, his second-year campaign was less consistent and filled with errors that a former first-round pick (28th overall selection in 2020) should not make as the incumbent starter. Stat-wise, the 6′, 231-pound linebacker has 204 combined tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 3 pass deflections, and an interception starting in 33 games. With his third year as the starter on the horizon, he should still be a key part in the middle of a defense that is looking to improve with new defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald now in charge.
While the 23-year-old linebacker, Patrick Queen, took over as the WILL, Josh Bynes moved over to the MIKE linebacker position in 2021, as he was the other starter at inside linebacker. While reliable and trusted as the veteran in the group, Bynes doesn’t move the needle very much in retrospect and can be seen as a depth player normally or a potential starter in a pinch at his age. If unproven young players like Malik Harrison and the other undrafted free agents (like Kristian Welch and rookies Diego Fagot, Zakoby McClain, and Josh Ross) on the roster don’t step up or aren’t ready to compete for a starting job, then trading for an established star like linebacker Roquan Smith certainly makes sense.