(Updated: 7:45 p.m.)
The man who’s played a significant part in the Ravens leading the NFL in rushing four times over the last six seasons is staying put.
On Tuesday, Baltimore agreed to a one-year deal with five-time Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard, ensuring the return of one of the franchise’s longest-tenured players for a ninth season. According to The Athletic, the fully-guaranteed contract is worth just under $3 million, but it will count for roughly half of that on the 2025 salary cap as a four-year qualifying contract. Ricard, a 2017 undrafted free agent out of Maine, made $4 million this past season.
The 30-year-old appeared in every game for the third straight season and helped pave the way for veteran newcomer Derrick Henry to run for a whopping 1,921 yards and a franchise-record 16 touchdowns as both earned Pro Bowl selections. The 6-foot-3, 300-pound Ricard also caught three passes for 22 yards and a touchdown.
While Ricard himself had doubts about his future when Todd Monken took over the Ravens offense two years ago, it’s clear the punishing fullback more than proved his value to his offensive coordinator, prompting his return.
“I was looking at offensive line to see what I could do and whatnot, but yes, he sees what I can do. He understands how to use me,” Ricard said in January. “I would like to keep being a part of it as long as everyone wants me here, and he wants to keep using me the way he has been using me.”
Ricard is the second player to be re-signed by the Ravens in the final days leading into the official start of the new league year on Wednesday, joining two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Ronnie Stanley. Five of Baltimore’s free agents have already agreed to terms with other teams since the negotiating window opened Monday afternoon, a list including guard Patrick Mekari, cornerback Brandon Stephens, linebackers Malik Harrison and Chris Board, and offensive lineman Josh Jones.
The re-signings of Stanley and Ricard headline an otherwise very familiar start to free agency for Baltimore, who is currently positioned to receive two compensatory picks in next year’s draft.
Stanley’s contract friendly to Ravens
The three-year, $60 million agreement reached between Stanley and the Ravens last weekend is already aging well for general manager Eric DeCosta.
Stanley did well for himself with a payout over the first two years reportedly landing him among the NFL’s top seven left tackles, but reported deals for free-agent left tackles Dan Moore and Jaylon Moore strongly suggest the longtime Raven could have done markedly better than $20 million per season on the open market. Though Stanley is entering his age-31 season and has a well-documented injury history, he has much more of an established track record than the aforementioned players.
Not only would the Ravens have had a challenging — and potentially very expensive — time trying to replace Stanley, but the structure of his new deal is quite friendly to their salary cap, according to OverTheCap.com. The three-year deal includes three void years, which allows for a 2025 cap number of just $5.8 million and a 2026 figure of just under $9.9 million, which allows for added roster-building flexibility over the next two seasons.
Maulet to be released after injury-plagued 2024
Veteran slot cornerback Arthur Maulet is expected to be released, according to NFL Network.
The move comes as no surprise after the 31-year-old appeared in just three games last season due to multiple injuries. It’s an unfortunate end to Maulet’s time in Baltimore after a solid 2023 that included five pass breakups and two fumble recoveries.
Maulet’s release will create $2.25 million in cap space.
