Getty Baltimore Ravens LB Patrick Queen.
It’s something that has been the case for at least a decade but linebacker remains a big need for the Las Vegas Raiders. They haven’t been able to find long-term options at the position for a very long time. They’ve gotten good individual seasons from players like Denzel Perryman but he was only around for two years.
The Raiders run a lot of sets with just linebackers on the field. The duo of Divine Deablo and Robert Spillane will be among the most unproven in the NFL if that’s who the team starts in Week 1. With mandatory organized team activities currently underway, Las Vegas will get a better look at their linebackers and if they’re comfortable with their current starters. If not, it might be time to dip back into the trade market.
The Baltimore Ravens declined Patrick Queen’s fifth-year option this offseason, which means the former first-round pick will likely be a free agent next year. Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report believes the Raiders should reach out to Baltimore to see if they would do a deal of swapping defensive tackle Bilal Nichols for Queen.
“I think they’re going to faze [Queen] out,” Moton said. “I think Trenton Simpson is gonna play a lot in the upcoming season and Patrick Queen could fall by the wayside if he stays so why not call the Ravens?”
Fair Trade for Both Sides?
Now that the Ravens have quarterback Lamar Jackson locked down, they could be sneaky Super Bowl contenders this season. They should be making moves to help them win now. Queen is a solid linebacker but the Ravens may prefer giving Trenton Simpson more snaps as Moton pointed out. They aren’t particularly deep at defensive tackle.
Nichols is coming off of a mediocre season after the Raiders gave him an $11 million contract last year. He doesn’t bring much upside as a pass rusher but he played all 17 games last season and hasn’t missed a game since 2019. He’s a solid run defender and would give Baltimore a dependable option on the defensive line. Considering Queen is likely gone after the season and it’s hard to see the Raiders bringing Nichols back, it could make sense for both teams to help each other out.
Josh McDaniels Praises Divine Deablo
One player who could keep the Raiders from trading for a linebacker is Divine Deablo. He was converted to linebacker after playing safety in college and has had some struggles over his first years. Last year, he missed nine games due to injury, which certainly hurt his development. He has put in work this offseason and head coach Josh McDaniels has been impressed. He revealed that Deablo is currently the one wearing the green dot on defense.
“I’m fond of Divine. I think he knows that and we’ve given him a lot of responsibility,” McDaniels said during his June 6 media availability. “He’s wearing the green dot in practice which is obviously a role that young players, once they have that on their shoulders, they’re responsible for more than just their job. They have to communicate to everyone else. They have to be alert and aware of situational football because they’re essentially the quarterback of the defense, once you have that responsibility.
