New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh continued to stockpile players from the Baltimore Ravens, his former team, on Tuesday evening as New York reportedly agreed to terms with six-time Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard.
The two-year deal with Ricard will reportedly make him the highest-paid fullback in the NFL. Per NFL insider Mike Garafolo, the deal will be worth a maximum of $8.5 million, with a base value of $7.63 million that will make Ricard the league’s highest-paid fullback on a per-year basis.
What it means for the Giants
While the majority of NFL teams have moved away from relying heavily on a fullback, or having one at all, Harbaugh’s teams in Baltimore almost always had a quality fullback.
For the last nine years with the Ravens, that has been the 6-foot-3, 300-pound soon-to-be 32-year-old Ricard.
Early in his career in Baltimore, Ricard played both fullback and defensive tackle. He has been a full-time fullback since 2019. Since that time, he has been named to six Pro Bowls, been a First-Team All-Pro once, and a Second-Team All-Pro twice.
Harbaugh wants a team built around power and the ability to win in the trenches on both side of the ball. Ricard is the epitome of that, and there seemed to be an inevitability about his joining Harbaugh with the Giants.
Ricard is the second former Raven who has received a market-setting contract to join Harbaugh’s Giants. The other was punter Jordan Stout, another signing that speaks to what Harbaugh believes is important in building a winning team.
In addition to Ricard and Stout, the Giants have also added former Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely and former Ravens safety Ar’Darius Washington. There is also chatter that they may be consider Baltimore guard Daniel Faalele in an effort to upgrade the interior of the offensive line.
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