Ricard is gifted and I wonder if there's a role for him beyond blocking. With his athleticism, there's a lot being left on the table by not using him as a pass rusher on third downs. Fullback is a part time job, and it doesn't demand much. Be big, be quick enough, and hit people in open space. A lot of people can do that. What separates him from others? Why did he make the team over Ricky Ortiz?
Clearly, he made the team for his ability to bring depth on the dline. I mean, he was a starter in college and got 18 sacks through his career. He's got pass rush potential. Why not throw him in next to Willie Henry on third down? This is probably something we get into more next year, but it's a legitimate possibility. He' 6'3 300 pounds with above average athleticism. He can do more than play fullback, and playing fullback won't exhaust him. Why not give him two part time jobs, so to speak?
To that end, I think Ricard is one version of the next-gen fullback. One version is the Juice model -- the hybrid who can be a receiving threat but may struggle with blocking. Ricard is the other model -- the solidly built and athletic defender who is on offense to hit people and catch the occasional flat route, while being a rotational piece -- probably as a rusher -- on defense. The Seahawks in recent years did this, too, putting a DT at fullback. More and more, teams are asking their players for versatility, and I see this as the next logical step.
Frankly, fullback really doesn't demand much talent, and many front seven defenders are already built for it. It takes size, decent athleticism, and nasty. Blocking in the open field isn't all that different from tackling in the open field in terms of positioning. In the future, I can see a team's backup LB or DE being the starting fullback and special teams ace on a near regular basis. If you want a part time fullback who can actually block, maybe more teams should ask their LBs and DL who played fullback in high school.
