Yup, there goes another one.
Vonta Leach, the highly respected fullback who embodied the phrase “Play like a Raven”, is now a former Baltimore Raven due to a contract dispute. Leach’s cap hit of a little over four million was the determining factor in his departure as that space could be used to acquire a veteran receiver or add depth to the offensive line.
But, what does Leach leaving mean for the Ravens?
Websites such as Pro Football Focus believe that Leach is far and away the best blocking fullback in the league. And, they are probably right. But like the rest of the NFL, the Ravens are starting to value positional versatility; something Leach lacks in the worst way.
As the general public begged for the Flacco-led offense to use more no huddle last year, Cam Cameron was usually the target for blame. And yes, maybe some blame should be assigned to the former Ravens’ offensive coordinator. However, Vonta Leach’s inability to play multiple positions was a large reason why the no huddle couldn’t be used more often.
You see, the no huddle is used to lock an opposing defense into a single defensive personnel package. But, what’s the point of doing that if the offense doesn’t create any mismatches? That’s the downside of Leach. While he might be able to block at a high level, his overall game isn’t as effective as someone who can play more than just fullback.
The Ravens, however, are not currently in the market for a versatile “move” fullback with the addition of Kyle Juszczyk in the fourth round of the draft. Juszczyk, a Harvard graduate, is in the perfect mold for what the Ravens need to run more no-huddle. With Juszczyk on the team, the Ravens have the ability to come out in 22 personnel (2 backs, 2 tight ends, 1 wide receiver) and quick snap the next play out of a spread formation.
That’s a huge advantage for any team.
Here we see Juszczyk lining up in the middle of a “trips” left formation, showing his ability to match up against a nickel defender and actually win on the back-end of the route. Very impressive.
In this play, Juszczyk lined up in the slot off the line of scrimmage challenging one of the defense’s linebackers. Clearly a mismatch, and Juszczyk exploits it with a quick out taken 60 yards for a touchdown.
In this play we see Juszczyk in a position that Leach mastered, offset-right. As soon as the ball was snapped and handed to the tailback, Juszczyk attacked the strong side linebacker downhill, sealing him off as the tailback ran for a long gain.
Here, Juszczyk lines up in the “Y” position as an inline tight end matched up with a linebacker. Since the defense is in a cover-2 shell, the linebacker knows he has help over the top on seam routes.
After the snap, Juszczyk works the linebacker up the left hash threatening an outside route, draws the safety in with a slight hesitation, and then completes the double-move taking the top end of the route between the hashes for a touchdown – an unbelievable play.
Leach was a great Raven. There is no denying that. He defined the physicality and toughness that Ozzie Newsome and John Harbaugh look for in players.
But, the future is more exciting and much brighter with Juszczyk in the starting lineup.
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