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The Baltimore Ravens have re-signed fullback/tight end Ben Mason, per the NFL’s official transaction report, raising questions about the future of Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard, whose contract is set to expire at the end of the season.
Mason was selected by the Ravens in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of the University of Michigan, where he played under Jim Harbaugh, the brother of Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.
The pick was questioned at the time of the draft, and the criticism only intensified after Mason failed to make Baltimore’s 53-man roster at the end of the preseason. The situation snowballed into a minor controversy in Baltimore when Mason chose to join the New England Patriots‘ practice squad instead of staying on the practice squad of the team that drafted him. Mason ultimately did not play a single snap in 2021, for either the Patriots or the Chicago Bears, whose practice squad he joined in December.
Ravens fans quickly pulled out their favorite movie references for their reactions.
Could Mason Replace Ricard?
But fans were most concerned about what Mason’s arrival meant for the future of Patrick Ricard, who is set to hit free agency in March.
Ricard signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Maine in 2017 and played both defensive tackle – his college position – and fullback in the first three seasons of his career. He earned his first Pro Bowl selection in 2019 as a fullback before converting to the position full-time, where he earned two more Pro Bowl nods in 2020 and 2021.
Though he struggled with injuries this season, Ricard is still a key blocker in Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson-led offense, so the Ravens could make a real push to re-sign him this offseason.
Ricard earned a two-year, $7 million extension in 2019, so two more Pro Bowls could push his value closer to that of ex-Ravens fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who signed a five-year, $27 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers after leaving Baltimore in 2017, per Spotrac.
With new contracts already handed out to All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews and versatile offensive lineman Patrick Mekari, the Ravens may not be able to afford that large of a contract for Ricard with an extension for Lamar Jackson on the horizon.
Could Mason Replace Ricard?
Mason’s return to Baltimore indicates that he could be a successor to Ricard, but it’s unclear if the former Wolverine can actually fill that role.
Mason weighs in at only 254 pounds, almost 60 pounds lighter than the 311-pound Ricard, who regularly opens holes for the Ravens’ rushing attack. Ricard’s size allows him to take on defensive linemen as well as linebackers and defensive backs, making him a moveable wrecking ball in Baltimore’s offense.
While a full – and fully-healthy – season from blocking tight end Nick Boyle might fill some of the void left by Ricard’s departure, Mason would still need to seriously step up. But after failing to catch on with the Ravens, as well as the Patriots and the Bears, Mason hasn’t demonstrated the talent and reliability necessary to take on Ricard’s key role in Baltimore. He’ll need to make vast strides in
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