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Browns HC Todd Monken wants to bring back critical offensive position
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- Browns HC Todd Monken wants to bring back critical offensive position
It is true, and it is beautiful. Under head coach Todd Monken, the Cleveland Browns will have a dedicated fullback on their roster in 2026.
Over the past 10 to 15 years, the fullback position has all but disappeared from the modern game of football. However, there has been a trend back to the run game over the past two to three years, and leading that trend has been Todd Monken's offenses.
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In an NFL that has become such a passing league and people have fallen in love with scoring points with big touchdowns, some offenses have gone back to what used to be the bread and butter of the NFL, and that is running the football. Since 2023, when Monken took over the play calling in Baltimore , the Ravens have been either first or second in the league in "Rush Play Percentage."
This stat comes from TeamRankings.com, and in Monken's time in Baltimore, his teams ran the ball on average, 51.84 percent of the time. In 2024, the Ravens were actually second in the league behind the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles with a 53.3 percent run rate.
To have a great run game, having Derrick Henry helps, but also having a fullback to lead the way helps as well.
The Browns bringing back the fullback?
On Monday, Monken told the media that he would like to have a fullback on his roster next season. According to reporter Mary Kay Cabot, the Browns tried to sign Patrick Ricard this offseason.
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Monken said that "Pat (Ricard) is a unicorn." The addition of Ricard would have been a homerun get for the Browns, but they came up short.
While it feels odd to say that a fullback could be a unicorn, a good one presents a lot of matchup problems for opposing defenses. The first place to look that isn't Baltimore is San Francisco . Kyle Juszczyk is a legitimate game-changer for the 49ers and creates major matchup issues in both the run and pass game.
Six fullbacks have already been signed this offseason, and there are two still left on the free agent market: Michael Burton from Dallas and Ben VanSumeren from Philadelphia. If the Browns decide against these two options, they could also convert a tight end to the fullback position.
Regardless of how they get it, expect the Browns to have a fullback on their roster and for Todd Monken to use him to the fullest extent that he can.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns HC Todd Monken wants to bring back critical offensive position
