The NFL may have just increased the salary cap for next season, but that doesn’t mean that the Baltimore Ravens won’t still have to consider cutting some of their roster to create more financial flexibility.
One player who could fall victim to becoming a cap casualty is Baltimore’s All-Pro fullback Patrick Ricard.
Does it make sense for the Baltimore Ravens to continue paying Patrick Ricard who’s part of a dying position?
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Fullbacks once played a crucial role on the football fields, helping running backs dominate the gridiron, but fast forward to 2024, and one of the top two in the entire league could be getting released.
Ricard was named as a member of the All-Pro team for his contributions to the Ravens’ top, rushing offense, but as the old expression goes, defense wins championships.
Despite Ricard doing everything possible to maximize his capabilities on the field, the four-time Pro Bowler and 2023 All-Pro’s job security could be on the line because his blocking simply might not be deemed essential to a Super Bowl run in this passer-friendly era of football.
Cutting Ricard would save Baltimore $4 million, something that the team may very well value more than the 52 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown it took for him to make his first-ever All-Pro team appearance.
The saving grace to Ricard’s time with the Ravens could be the NFL’s newly announced $255.4 million salary cap in 2024, which represents an unprecedented increase, of nearly $30 million.
With players, such as Patrick, queen, and Justin Madubuike set to command massive extensions this offseason after outperforming their rookie contracts, Baltimore will likely try to do everything in its power to re-sign its star defenders even if it means having to part with an All-Pro like Richard.