Patrick Queen And The Bucs
February 1st, 2026
ILB Patrick Queen.
Would Joe like to see Lavonte David back in 2026? Sure, but that doesn’t mean the Bucs should not draft his replacement and it sure doesn’t mean they shouldn’t sign a linebacker in free agency.
One thing that has frustrated Joe the past couple of years is how soft the Bucs defense is. Name the last two times you saw a Bucs defender drill a guy so hard it forced a turnover? You know the type: a game-changing hit.
Well, one way to bring back hitting to Tampa Bay is to bring in a physical player. One such player is Steelers LB Patrick Queen. Perhaps he could be had in a trade?
Queen seemed generally depressed when Tomlin resigned. Mike McCarthy has replaced Tomlin in Pittsburgh.
The inside linebacker was drafted by the John Harbaugh Crows in 2000 in the first round. After his contract expired with Baltimore, he left for Mike Tomlin’s Steelers. Both coaches strongly believe in physical play. In fact, those two guys wouldn’t start an inside linebacker unless he was physical.
It appears Queen is a smart guy. He likes to be paid. And he may want to play for a defensive-minded head coach.
Queen ranked 27th in the NFL in tackles (120). So Queen is still young, is still physical and is still a ballhawk, just the kind of guy the Bucs need to either replace David or play alongside David.
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