Welcome to Baltimore Ben Mason!

[John Reglarperson]

He’s redundant with Ricard. However, makes sense for a few reasons:
-Ricard’s role is very important in our offense - if Ricard gets hurt, we lost a big chunk of our playbook. It’s more than just a generic FB where you could just plug in anybody off the street. Now Mason could step in if Ricard goes down
-Definitely will be a special team player, so not wasting a roster spot for a backup to Ricard
-Pat Ricard is not under contract after this year

Not great value for a drafted player, but if they really like the player they weren’t going to get him as a UDFA. Even if he went undrafted he’d go somewhere where there wasn’t an entrenched fullback

Wasn't he THE BEST Fullback?

I know that to some it's so very important to throw valuable picks at WR over and over every year, and it's important to have 6 expensive WRs for 2 WR spots, but there are others who go "best fullback? we use a fullback, that might be good."

[LC_Ravens_87]

Blocking TE

[LC_Ravens_87]

Blocking TE

and Roman's breaking out a 2 FB set

[Mark]

Yes he has actually played well at DT before. Go and watch the Bengals game from 2019 he was very effective.

Cullen and Wink felt he was good enough to play 140 defensive snaps in 2019. I thought he played very well on the DL.

[John Reglarperson]

Pat Ricard clone

But not really. It's true to the extent that Hollywood Brown is a Boykin clone. They both play TE, and those other 2 both play WR.

One thing that Ben Mason did a lot of, and Ricard has not, is run for TDs. Mason had 9 rushing TDs in college. So far, Ricard has not had a rushing TD.

Ricard is much much heavier, 300 pounds. Mason is the typical size of a FB, basically the size of a bigger RB. 246 pounds. 37.5 vert. 6.89 3 cone. Those 2 there are good numbers. Overall, explosive and quick, not as much fast. He's an excellent blocker, really seems to be rock solid, and the Ravens have another player to put on the field when they want great blocking. He can do Fullback blocking great, and he can run the ball.

Lamar + 10 blockers is a great play, and it helps to have 10 great blockers. It seems like Mason would be one of those 10 blockers. Ricard, Boyle, Mason. 2 other players to take skill positions as blockers. Andrews?

Good to have another runner/blocker.

[John Reglarperson]

and Roman's breaking out a 2 FB set

I don't know what a 2 FB set is, but he could put Ricard and Mason on the field at the same time, along with Boyle. They're good blockers, so have them block.

[WNCRavensFan]

I don't know what a 2 FB set is, but he could put Ricard and Mason on the field at the same time, along with Boyle. They're good blockers, so have them block.

Ricard
Mason
Boyle
Andrews
Gus

ZeRo WrS

[BRfan96]

It seems like there's an even split on people liking or hating the pick.

Personally I love it. This team doesn't mind breaking out the unconventional formation ala the 3 TE set, or 2 TE 1 FB set. Whatever. He'll work with what we want to do. Also, he's insurance if Ricard gets hurt. The way I see it, we took 2 WR's who are decent to good. We took a FB and a massive humanoid for an OG. We are trying to achieve BALANCE. We want to be able to still beat people up and run the ball in a myriad of ways, but the FO also realizes that yes, the passing game must get better and WR's are part of that formula. I'm fine with it. In a pinch he can serve as an exceptional blocker who can also be an eligible receiver. He can basically do Hayden Hursts job, except better at blocking and worse at receiving.

[John Reglarperson]

Ricard
Mason
Boyle
Andrews
Gus

ZeRo WrS

I am 100% in agreement with what you have there.

[alien bird]

THis comes from an ESPN.com evaluation of Mason:

His nickname is "Bench Press," and his physical play will made him a special teams contributor immediately. "My mental process is I'm the baddest dude on the field at all times," Mason said.

[Waywatcher]

THis comes from an ESPN.com evaluation of Mason:

His nickname is "Bench Press," and his physical play will made him a special teams contributor immediately. "My mental process is I'm the baddest dude on the field at all times," Mason said.

Ben Cleveland may beg to differ. And you could sell tickets for the resulting cage match.

[John Reglarperson]

It seems like there's an even split on people liking or hating the pick.

Personally I love it. This team doesn't mind breaking out the unconventional formation ala the 3 TE set, or 2 TE 1 FB set. Whatever. He'll work with what we want to do. Also, he's insurance if Ricard gets hurt. The way I see it, we took 2 WR's who are decent to good. We took a FB and a massive humanoid for an OG. We are trying to achieve BALANCE. We want to be able to still beat people up and run the ball in a myriad of ways, but the FO also realizes that yes, the passing game must get better and WR's are part of that formula. I'm fine with it. In a pinch he can serve as an exceptional blocker who can also be an eligible receiver. He can basically do Hayden Hursts job, except better at blocking and worse at receiving.

What Ben Mason can do that apparently Mark Andrews, Hayden Hurst, Patrick Ricard, Nick Boyle can't really do is RUN the ball.

9 Rushing TDs in College. It wasn't long ago, it was the color TV era, the Fullback was on the field all time, he was often the leading rusher. Jim Brown was a Fullback. John Riggins, Larry Czonka, Franco Harris, all Fullbacks. In theory it should not be hard at all to find a player who can be big, fast enough, can block well and can RUN the ball. It seems like Ben Mason is this. I was hopeful that Ricard could run more, and he kinda did have a run that didn't end up well, with a lost fumble. But now, the Ravens have a legit TD runner at Fullback, so the offense contains the possibility of a run from the Fullback, in addition to QB, RB and possibly some slot guy in motion or something like that.

Make the most potent run game in history as potent as possible, and having another runner/blocker out there is going to help make the run game more potent.

With the other Ben, it's a bit confusing, but when you look at it like the Ravens added a player who would help make the run game more potent, it seems like a plus. Not clear where he plays though. But he definitely should be one who helps the run game.