I Expects Patrick Queen to Be a ‘Dawg in the Middle’
During an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio at the 101 Awards ceremony in Kansas City on Friday, Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro outside linebacker T.J. Watt expressed his excitement about the addition of linebacker Patrick Queen.
Having faced Queen twice a year in Baltimore, Watt has firsthand knowledge of his capabilities.
“On the defensive side of the ball, how about Patrick Queen? I’m super excited for that addition,” Watt exclaimed. “Going against him for four years in Baltimore, I have all the respect for him. He’s a true sideline-to-sideline player, a sure tackler who can drop in coverage and do everything. Being that true ‘dawg’ in the middle is what every good defense needs, and that’s what I’m expecting from him.”
According to Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, Queen will be utilized as an all-situations player. This comes as no surprise, considering Queen’s heavy involvement with the Ravens defense last season, logging 1,121 snaps—96.9% of Baltimore’s defensive plays, even surpassing first-team All-Pro Roquan Smith.
In Pittsburgh, Queen is expected to feature in the base defense, as well as Nickel and Dime sub-packages. Additionally, he could assume the role of green-dot communicator for the defense, a responsibility he held in Baltimore.
“He’s an all-situations linebacker, and that’s exciting,” Tomlin commented. “He’s a three-down player who can tackle, cover, and blitz. At 24 and a half years old, he brings a great combination of youth and experience. We’re really excited about bringing him on board, not just because of his skill set but also because of the familiarity. We’ve seen a lot of him, and he’s seen a lot of us, so it’s going to be an exciting marriage.”