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The Ravens initially drafted Michigan fullback Ben Mason in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL draft as a potential replacement for Pat Ricard, who is a free agent this offseason. 

Mason dealt with some injuries during training camp and was allocated to the practice squad before being claimed by the New England Patriots.

The Ravens re-signed Mason on Jan. 21 as insurance against Ricard signing a more lucrative deal elsewhere. 

Like Ricard, Mason takes pride in crushing opponents and that's one of the reasons the Ravens selected him in the fifth round of this year's draft from Michigan.

"Since I’ve been a kid, I’ve really just enjoyed the process of arriving at contact, going from Point A to Point B," Mason said during training camp. "I love everything about it – just arriving, meeting them with your hands and driving your feet on contact. My mental process is, ‘I’m the baddest dude on the field at all times,’ and I’m going to play like that and think like that. So, that’s really what I think, and when I see defenders in the hole, I want to make them feel my physical presence.”

Mason was a two-time winner of the Toughest Player of the Year award in 2017 and 2019 as voted by his teammates.

He's also a versatile player that can take a spot on the depth chart on both offense and defense.

Over four seasons at Michigan, he appeared in 45 career games with four starting assignments — one at defensive tackle, one at halfback and two at fullback. He carried the ball 37 times for 87 yards with nine touchdowns.

Mason also has a nose for the end zone, averaging a touchdown run every four carries. 

This article first appeared on FanNation Raven Country and was syndicated with permission.

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