After doing his homework this offseason, Trenton Simpson can’t wait to be tested.
While preparing for his new role as a starter, Simpson couldn’t even guess how many questions he asked Roquan Smith, his All-Pro sidekick at inside linebacker.
“Me being a younger player, I’m going to ask questions, and when I’m with him (Smith), he’s a great person to learn from,” Simpson said.
So how many questions does Simpson ask Smith every day?
“A lot,” Simpson said smiling.
Simpson has also spent ample time in film study watching Patrick Queen, who had his best season with the Ravens in 2023 before departing for the archrival Steelers in free agency. Queen led the team in snaps played (1,121) and made the Pro Bowl for the first time while finishing with a career-high 133 tackles.
Instead of trying to downplay Queen’s impact, Simpson tried to learn from the man he’s set to replace.
“[Patrick Queen] played at a very high level,” Simpson said. “Just to see him and learn from him my rookie year … I mean, he had a great year. With the way he played, he got the contract he deserved, and I learned a lot from him. I’ve been just watching how he moves, his pre-snap alignments and things like that. I did a lot of studying of him this year.”
Simpson has been one of the Ravens’ most active defensive players during camp, and his physicality has popped since the pads have come on. On a unit loaded with players who love to hit and next to player oozing with intensity in Smith, Simpson fits right in.
“Trenton’s an intense guy, which we love,” Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr said. “Isaiah Likely told me the other day, ‘Tell Trent to smile out there on the field.’ I was like, ‘Hey man, that’s how he rolls.’
“That’s why we loved him when he came out of Clemson. He came in as rookie being real physical. He’s continued that, upped that. He’s gotten bigger, stronger, more explosive which he’s displaying.”
Smith and Queen rarely came off the field last season, resulting in Simpson playing just 46 defensive snaps as a rookie. Most of those (26) came in Week 17, the regular-season finale against the Steelers when Baltimore rested some starters having already wrapped up the AFC’s best record.
That game experience proved valuable to Simpson, and now he’s looking forward to knowing he’ll see action every week. Queen kept improving every year with the Ravens and eventually became a three-down linebacker. Simpson wants to do the same and has worked on all aspects of his game including, pass coverage, tackling, reading formations and becoming more vocal.
“I’d say I’ve grown the most by just knowing what to expect – just being in our system for a year now,” Simpson said. “I’m communicating better. With this defense, everybody is on the same page, we’re very vocal, and everybody is talking every play, so I think that’s a sign of a great defense.”
Like Smith, Simpson is known as one of the team’s nicest players off the field. But on the field, he wants to be ferocious. With big shoes to fill, Simpson can’t wait to lace them up as a starter.
“When you get in between those lines, you’ve got to be locked in, focused in and just serious,” Simpson said. “There’s a goal and you’ve got to go out there and perform, so there’s no time to play around on the field; you’ve got to be focused.
“When I’m off the field, I’m a great guy, smiling all the time, but when it gets in between those lines, it’s time to play ball.”