Steelers Get A+ Grade on Patrick Queen Signing

The Pittsburgh Steelers made a huge splash at the linebacker position by signing former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen. And Pro Football Focus absolutely loves the value and fit of it, too, dishing out an A+ grade on the signing for Pittsburgh.

“We called our shot here on Queen becoming the next Tremaine Edmunds type signing, a fourth-year breakout of sorts — carrying over a strong second half of 2022 — who earned Pro Bowl honors as a former first-rounder. However, Pittsburgh was able to anchor this deal to the other upper mid-tier linebacker deals signed this offseason instead of closer to the true top of the market. Queen is a great fit alongside Elandon Roberts, though coverage will be a bit of a concern over the middle, with two disruptive forces coming downhill. And it’s a great value,” they wrote.

They were not the only ones to love the Patrick Queen signing and other moves. Former Houston Texans defensive end and current CBS analyst J.J. Watt is bullish on the Steelers’ free agency moves. In fact, he loves general manager Omar Khan’s moves.

“I love it,” Watt said during an one-on-one interview with Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports. “They know they have an opportunity in Pittsburgh. They know that they need to make some moves to try to take that last step to make that jump.

“Basically, what they’re saying to their fan base is, ‘We’re going all in to try and win. We want to win a Super Bowl. That’s what we do here.’ I think they’ve seen the narratives about no losing seasons but not making it past that first round of the playoffs. They’re signifying to their fans, alright, we’re going to go ahead and do it.”

The additions of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields have made headlines, but Watt doesn’t want people to forget about the Queen signing. He thinks the 24-year-old linebacker is going to create havoc.

“Bringing in Queen at linebacker, I think that was a really underrated signing that people aren’t talking about as much,” Watt said. “I think that’s huge for their defense. You put those playmakers at every level with Minkah, Queen, T.J., Cam, Highsmith. They’re really building something there with Joey Porter as well.”

Queen will join Elandon Roberts and Cole Holcomb in the inside linebacker room, giving the team some solid depth in the middle of their defense. The Steelers have been trying to replace Ryan Shazier since 2018, and they’re hoping Queen can be their bona fide star linebacker.

“I look at the championship games from last year,” Watt said. “I see Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, Patrick Queen, Roquan Smith. Teams that are great in this league, they’ve got some damn good middle linebackers. I need some of those guys if I want to win.

“I also see a lot of good tight ends: George Kittle, Travis Kelce, Sam LaPorta. In this league, you’ve got to have a quarterback that can do it, and you’ve got to be able to keep guys out of the end zone.”

The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game in seven years, and time is running out for veteran defensive tackle Cam Heyward to win a Super Bowl ring. Heyward turns 35 in May and is on the final year of his deal. Watt likes how the Steelers are going all-in to get back to playoff success. He believes there’s a sense of urgency from the front office.

“I don’t think that’s lost on the situation,” Watt said. “I think the fact that this group, together, not being past the first round of the playoffs, I think everybody realizes that that is underachieving. To me, and if I’m a Steelers fan, I’m looking at it and I’m saying, OK, Omar and them, they’re going all-in. They’re saying, alright, let’s do this. Let’s make a run, let’s see what we can do with this group.

“Who knows how it’s going to work out. I don’t (know), but I’m looking forward to watching.”