The Pittsburgh Steelers are experimenting with using an offensive lineman as a fullback this offseason with Kendrick Green, the third-year veteran. It’s hardly a novel concept—the Steelers themselves employed Doug Legursky in that role in the past in their “Bronco” package. Well, now the Baltimore Ravens are heading in the opposite direction.
Fresh off the Physically Unable to Perform List, FB Patrick Ricard has now been getting reps along the offensive line. Like Green, he has a background playing along the defensive line—Richard has hundreds of NFL snaps there with the Ravens, though not in recent years—but offensive line is new to him.
In fact, he worked exclusively with the offensive line during Monday’s practice earlier this week. Said head coach John Harbaugh about that, “We’re looking at that. It’s just a multitude role kind of thing. Pat’s quite an athlete. He can do a lot of different things, and maybe we expand his role just a little bit for a little bit of time here and see how he does”.
New offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s offense is not expected to use as many “heavy” run formations this year as the emphasis on the passing game picks up. That means fewer snaps for the fullback, though Ricard is more versatile than most of the true few who remain.
Realistically, they are probably looking at him more for a potential tackle-eligible role than as an actual offensive lineman within the starting five, barring an emergency. The Ravens lost Josh Oliver this offseason and Nick Boyle is now an unsigned long snapper.
At 6-foot-3, 305 pounds, Ricard was always bigger than your prototypical fullback—just for comparison’s sake, Dan Kreider was listed at 250 pounds. Roosevelt Nix weighed 248 pounds. Granted, that weight from the team’s website may be a bit outdated. You can probably find half a dozen different weights for Ricard, but he hasn’t played on the defensive line for years so he may have played lighter since then.
Meanwhile, the Steelers seem likely to give it a go with Green playing fullback in their preseason opener on Friday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They opted not to re-sign FB Derek Watt this offseason, while their only player at the position on the roster, Monte Pottebaum, abruptly retired. They have not yet used Connor Heyward at fullback in practice.
Green actually does have a background of playing fullback during high school football, as well as in the backyard, but he’s a long way removed from those days. His body over the past however many years has been transformed to that of an occupier of the trenches.
It will be interesting to monitor both stories and see if anything ultimately comes out of them. Baltimore is still trying to figure out who its left guard is, while the Steelers will occasionally need a big body in the backfield for situational ball.
