A major change to the Baltimore Ravens' offense could ground Patrick Ricard. Since arriving in Baltimore as an undrafted free agent out of Maine in 2017, Ricard has made a name for himself as one of the league's most effective fullbacks to the tune of four consecutive Pro Bowl nominations (2019-22). Lauded for his blocking, Ricard has contributed in several areas of the box score, amassing 260 yards on 50 touches in his six-year career while also working on both defense and special teams.
Through no fault of his own, however, Ricard may be due for a demotion. Asked in a mailbag about Ricard's status upon newly-minted offensive coordinator Todd Monken's arrival, insider The Athletic hinted that the all-star could see his snaps could dwindle. The media outlet says that he more than likely won't be cut, but an off-season hip surgery certainly doesn't help matters either.
"Ricard has been rehabbing after having hip surgery and hasn’t participated in the offseason practices," The Athletic says. "He can do a lot of things, from lead blocking to lining up as a tight end to catching balls out of the backfield to helping out as an extra blocker up front to playing special teams."
"I don’t currently see a blocking tight end on this roster, so you can’t dismiss his ability to contribute in that area. My inkling is there’s a spot for him on this team, but I certainly think he’ll be on the field a whole lot less than last year when he played nearly 65 percent of the offensive snaps."
Ricard appeared on a career-best 64 percent of Baltimore's offensive snaps last season under the watch of the departed Greg Roman. A look back on Monken's prior NFL stops suggests that the idea of a non-performance-based demotion isn't exactly unrealistic.
In four prior seasons as an offensive boss in the pros, Monken didn't have a listed fullback with him on the 2019 Cleveland Browns. He had two (Austin Johnson, Alan Cross) during his three-year tenure in Tampa Bay (2016-18) but used them more as blocking tight ends and special team assets.
Even with Monken's apparent aversion to fullbacks, Ricard has undoubtedly proved his professional worth: his blocking abilities paved the way for a Ravens rushing attack which had four rushers tally at least 400 on the ground and ranks second in the league in total yardage.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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