Oct 12, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen (6)) takes the field for a game against the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Should Buccaneers Target This Pro Bowl Linebacker via Trade?

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI
By Caleb Skinner | Last updated Feb 3, 2026 12:47 PM ET

The offseason is fully underway for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

With the NFL season almost fully wrapped up with the Super Bowl right around the corner, the Bucs have begun getting things in place for next season. They have hired new coaches and will now begin examining the roster.

Each year, the roster looks a bit different, and for Tampa Bay, that will most definitely be the case after a lackluster year. One area that needs drastic attention is the linebacker room, especially with Lavonte David's retirement decision still looming. With the Bucs' linebacker unit no longer making an impact, Bleacher Report believes they should target veteran linebacker Patrick Queen via trade this offseason.

Queen a 'Fun Fit' in Todd Bowles' Defense

Peter Casey-Imagn Images

"The Bucs have some cap space already and that's before they do the typical cap gymnastics that every team does to create space. Given how wide-open the NFC South was this season, they could get aggressive to push chips to the middle of the 2026 table," writer Alex Ballentine wrote. "That could mean covering for the potential loss of Lavonte David. The 36-year-old linebacker is a prime candidate to retire which would leave a hole in the middle of the Bucs defense. Patrick Queen would be a fun fit in Todd Bowles' blitz-heavy scheme."

Queen isn't set to become a free agent until 2027, but he would make a ton of sense in Todd Bowles' defensive scheme, no matter what decision David comes to on his future.

After being drafted in the first round by the Baltimore Ravens, Queen has spent the past two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. A two-time Pro Bowler and former Defensive Rookie of the Year and Second Team All-Pro, Queen is a versatile linebacker, showing productivity when healthy with impacts in the run game, bringing pressure, coverage and turnovers.

Todd Bowles needs a linebacker with range who can cover sideline-to-sideline while also doing all the minute details correctly. Queen, an every-down linebacker, fits this mold to a tee and would bring that leadership quality to a defense that drastically lacked it this past season.

The Bucs often blend zone coverage concepts, run fits and blitz packages, and Queen's athletic profile allows him to adapt across all these roles. His coverage instincts and physicality would help the Bucs improve their third-down defense and turnover-creating, two key areas that can help turn losses into wins.