The New York Giants have all but exhausted their tireless approach of trying to fit a square peg in a round hole with the middle linebacker position.
The last true great linebacker the Giants had was probably Antonio Pierce, who hasn’t played since 2009 and made his only Pro Bowl in 2006. That tells you everything you need to know. They’ve tried throwing draft picks at the problem, including four linebackers in the 2020 Draft alone, and it still hasn’t worked. Making matters worse, they haven’t taken one in the first two days of the draft since Gerris Wilkinson in 2006.
Free agency hasn't done much to solve the problem, either. Bobby Okereke was most recently brought in on a four-year, $40 million deal in 2023, but he hasn't been the difference-maker they thought he'd be when they poached him from the Colts.
Related: John Harbaugh’s first real Giants free-agency target just came into view
It's actually embarrassing how little this team has done to address an issue that's been ongoing for the better part of a decade, but there might be a light at the end of the tunnel. Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine listed three players for every team who could be cap casualties, and one ideal candidate might've moved closer to being available.
Patrick Queen is a John Harbaugh guy, and the chances of bringing him in to put an end to this linebacker nonsense have never felt closer. Ballentine listed the two-time Pro Bowler as a casualty in his piece, which could vault him to the top of their big board:
"Queen did not live up to his hefty price tag this season. He started all 17 games, but gave up a passer rating of 100.4 when targeted and missed 12.4 percent of his tackle attempts."
Patrick Queen’s looming situation in Pittsburgh opens a door for John Harbaugh's Giants
Harbs and Co. selected Queen with the 28th pick in the 2020 Draft as a plug-and-play inside linebacker. At the time, he was viewed as a steal, as several mock drafts saw top-15 talent. He was a sideline-to-sideline freakish athlete who would instantly level up the Ravens' defense back to the levels they were used to playing at.
It's true the 26-year-old is coming off a down season, but that shouldn't deter Harbaugh from a reunion. The former LSU star played four seasons under Big Blue's HC, finishing third in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2020 and earning his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro second-team in 2023.
After Baltimore declined his fifth-year option, Queen hit the market and landed a three-year, $41 million mega-deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He made the Pro Bowl in his first season there, then took a step back this past year, which is why his name is now popping up in cap-casualty conversations.
Queen is still a very good player. He's eclipsed 100-plus tackles in five of his six seasons and has also shown some pass-rushing prowess in the past. It also doesn't hurt he's never missed a game out of 101 of them -- you can't teach availability. However, even though he's coming off a down year, sometimes you gotta buy the dip, and with an estimated annual average of $5 million for his next contract, this feels like the slammiest of dunks I've seen in a minute.
The stars could be aligning perfectly. Queen played his best football under Harbaugh. If Pittsburgh does cut him, Harbs should be his first call once free agency opens.