With the door closing on Vonta Leach’s time with the Ravens, the door opens for Kyle Juszczyk.
The Ravens drafted Juszczyk (pronounced yous-check) in the fourth round because they believed he could make an immediate contribution as a fullback, H-back, and tight end. During his career at Harvard, Juszczyk caught 125 passes for 1,576 yards and 22 touchdowns. The Ravens envision him lining up in multiple formations, and giving Joe Flacco a new weapon as a receiver.
Juszczyk is a different player than Leach, younger and more versatile. However, replacing Leach will not be easy. He may be the NFL’s best blocking fullback, and his ability to open holes for Ray Rice is now absent from the Ravens’ running game. There is no way the Ravens can expect Juszczyk to be the blocker Leach was, not as a rookie, and probably not ever.
Leach became expendable when he and the Ravens could not agree on restructuring his $3 million base salary for 2013. By Monday evening, Leach was tweeting that his time with the Ravens was over. He was expected to be traded or released Tuesday. It was the latest in many recent difficult decisions for the Ravens’ front office.
How will the Ravens handle losing so many core veterans like Leach, Anquan Boldin, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Dannell Ellerbe, Paul Kruger, and Cary Williams remains to be seen. However, as the Ravens begin a three-day minicamp Tuesday, they are clearly not standing pat after winning the Super Bowl. They have gotten younger, and to remain a Super Bowl contender, some of their young players will have to step up.
Juszczyk could be part of that equation. Leach played less than 50 percent of the snaps last season, as the Ravens went to more formations without a fullback. Whatever playing time Juszczyk gets will be earned. If he picks up the offense quickly and shows he can contribute, offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell will find ways to incorporate Juszczyk. But if Juszczyk is not a fast a learner, the Ravens will not wait.
The NFL is a now league, with roles rapidly changing. The Ravens can no longer count on Leach at fullback. Now the Ravens will see if they can count on Juszczyk.
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