The return of Patrick Ricard to Ravens training camp earlier this week brought about a notable development. The four-time Pro Bowl fullback was used in a different capacity, one which could signal another position change for him. 
Ricard worked as an offensive lineman after being activated from the PUP list, as noted by ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. That represents an interesting development given Ricard’s successful background as a fullback, where he has received a Pro Bowl invitation every year since 2019. That campaign saw the former college defensive tackle serve in a hybrid role, as he logged 342 snaps on offense and 140 on defense.
Since that point, Ricard has been used exclusively as a fullback, a position which held more value under previous offensive coordinator Greg Roman than it is expected to with Todd Monken now at the helm. A shift toward a more pass-oriented scheme led to some questions about Ricard’s roster security, but they have been put to rest. Trying the 29-year-old along the O-line is currently just in the experimental stage, though.
“We’re looking at that,” head coach John Harbaugh said via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic when speaking about the potential position switch (subscription required). “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.”
Ricard could serve in a depth role along the offensive line if needed, but that unit is also the location of an ongoing positional battle. The left guard spot has been up for grabs since Ben Powers signed with the Broncos, and the Ravens have auditioned a number of replacement candidates. 2021 third-rounder Ben Cleveland appeared to be the top fill-in option at one point, but that is no longer the case.
Sixth-round rookie Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu (who has experience as a guard and tackle dating back to his time at Oregon) is currently the frontrunner to win the job, per Hensley. Zrebiec adds that former Raider John Simpson is the other contender for the starting role, and that he recently rotated into the first-team during practice. It will be interesting to see how that competition shakes out over the coming weeks, along with how Ricard is deployed in practice and preseason games.
Why has Ben Cleveland fallen back in the pack??
He was very solid during his time at UGA, and he was especially excellent in the run game.
Maybe they’re looking for a better pass blocking RG?? Idk…
Any extra insight would be welcomed..
It’s odd to me as well. Veterans replaced by rookies is nothing new, but what makes it look more off is John Simpson, who’s been an average player, also apparently coming up in the competition. Perhaps an undisclosed injury is to blame, or some sort of scheme fit. We have to remember that Todd Monken is now in charge of the Ravens’ offense. Cleveland is still relatively young, and has only played in Roman’s specialized run based scheme. Perhaps he hasn’t adjusted as well to a more conventional offense yet. This is all speculation, however, as I expected Cleveland to retain his job, as well.