On Wednesday, Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs said he was taking snaps at fullback in preparation for this weekend’s matchup with the New York Jets.
But because he is such a jokester, it wasn’t clear whether he was messing with the media.
Apparently, Suggs was serious, as Ravens Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron confirmed the new wrinkle.
“That’s something that’s big in this plan,” Cameron said Thursday. “We want to put as many good players out there that we can. It’s his idea. He’s not bashful. I guess he got tired of asking to be a tight end, so hey, we’ll stick him in there at fullback and see what he thinks.”
It’s not so far out of the box to think of the Ravens’ all-time sack leader toting the ball.
As a junior at Hamilton High School in Arizona, Suggs set a school record with 367 rushing yards and five touchdown in a single game and totaled 2,274 yards and 26 scores on the season.
As a senior, Suggs was named a Parade All-American and the Gatorade Player of the Year.
Suggs said he would relish the chance to square off against Jets linebacker and former teammate Bart Scott if he gets the call on offense.
“They’re giving me some snaps at the ‘full,’ just so me and Bart can have our meeting in the hole,” Suggs said. “We plan on seeing Bart. They’ve been feeding the beast a little bit, and I’m like, ‘Hey, throw me in there. I’ll catch it in the flat and get you 15.’”
Cameron isn’t afraid to use Ravens defenders in his game plan, with defensive tackle Haloti Ngata being the prime example.
The 330-pound Ngata regularly lines up in the backfield as a blocker near the end zone, and the Ravens even targeted Ngata on one such play last Sunday in St. Louis.
Facing third down from the Rams 3-yard line, Ngata and fullback Vonta Leach both flared out on routes, and quarterback Joe Flacco looked Ngata’s way before going to Leach.
“I think you want to get as many of your good players (out there) as you can,” Cameron said. “Obviously, there’s some risk involved there. We know that. We tried to get Haloti a touchdown the other day and it didn’t quite work out. They double-covered him. Go figure. They double-covered Haloti and left Vonta Leach all alone in the flat.”
What would Cameron expect from Suggs if he does utilize the pass-rushing terror?
“The same thing he’s shown me when he’s run back those interceptions and those fumbles,” Cameron said. “The guy’s a great player, period.”
