{"id":32952,"date":"2025-03-14T03:08:52","date_gmt":"2025-03-14T03:08:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=32952"},"modified":"2025-03-14T03:08:52","modified_gmt":"2025-03-14T03:08:52","slug":"breaking-ravens-make-second-free-agency-move-by-keeping-fan-favorite-in-baltimore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=32952","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING : Ravens make second free agency move by keeping fan-favorite in Baltimore"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><main><\/p>\n<div>\n<p id=\"inline-text-0\">The\u00a0Baltimore Ravens\u00a0have been their usual quiet to start free agency, but their second signing of the offseason is an important one. According to\u00a0The Athletic\u2019s Dianna Russini, Baltimore has re-signed five-time Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard to a one-year, fully guaranteed deal.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-1\">This one just made too much sense. Ricard made it abundantly clear after the Ravens\u2019 playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills that he wanted to retire in Baltimore.\u00a0General manager Eric DeCosta echoed that sentiment, and now it\u2019s official\u2014Ricard is back for at least another season.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-2\">In an era where fullbacks are essentially extinct, Ricard remains a pretty crucial piece of Baltimore\u2019s offensive identity. His ability to clear lanes for Derrick Henry, protect Lamar Jackson, and serve as an extra offensive lineman makes him invaluable. Locking him in for another season isn\u2019t just a feel-good story; it\u2019s a calculated offensive move that should help the Ravens\u2019 offense continue to be electric.<\/p>\n<h2><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_58,w_6568,h_3694\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/GettyImages\/mmsport\/26\/01jp3az2wbjqhfxc1ch7.jpg\" alt=\"Baltimore Ravens v Los Angeles Chargers\" \/><\/h2>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-3\">Ravens keep fan-favorite Patrick Ricard in Baltimore<\/h2>\n<p id=\"inline-text-4\">Ricard is more than a fullback, he\u2019s an enforcer. At 6-foot-3, 300 pounds, he\u2019s essentially an athletic offensive lineman who can play anywhere. Whether he\u2019s leading the charge in the run game, serving as an extra pass protector, or playing red-zone threat, Ricard has been a staple of Baltimore\u2019s offense since 2017.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-5\">Even with Todd Monken\u2019s more balanced offensive approach, Ricard\u2019s role remains critical. Last season, he was on the field for 15 of Henry\u2019s 16 rushing touchdowns. That\u2019s not a coincidence. Ricard\u2019s presence in short-yardage situations and on designed runs is a major reason why Baltimore consistently boasts one of the league\u2019s most explosive and frightening rushing attacks.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-6\">His return also provides continuity for an offensive line that will have some new pieces in 2025. With left guard still a question mark following\u00a0Patrick Mekari\u2019s departure to Jacksonville, Ricard\u2019s ability to function as a sixth lineman will be even more valuable in certain formations. His experience in the system, leadership in the locker room, and versatility as a blocker make him one of the Ravens\u2019\u2014and quite frankly, the league\u2019s\u2014most underrated assets.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-7\">Ricard was going nowhere. He wanted to be in Baltimore, the Ravens wanted him back, and now, Pancake Pat will keep delivering punishment in Purple and Black for at least one more year. Get the syrup and butter ready.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/main><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pancakes and syrup. Let\u2019s eat. Baltimore Ravens v Los Angeles Chargers | Ric Tapia\/GettyImages The\u00a0Baltimore Ravens\u00a0have been their usual quiet to start free agency, but their second&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":32955,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>BREAKING : Ravens make second free agency move by keeping fan-favorite in Baltimore - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=32952\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"BREAKING : Ravens make second free agency move by keeping fan-favorite in Baltimore - 24\/7 News America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Pancakes and syrup. 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