The “Unicorn” That Got Away From the Cleveland Browns, According to Todd Monken

The Cleveland Browns are set to introduce big changes on offense for the 2026 regular season under new head coach Todd Monken.

One of those changes includes going a little old school in the running game.

Speaking at the owner’s meeting in Phoenix, Monken revealed he’d like to have a fullback for Cleveland’s run game, according to Browns’ insider Mary Kay Cabot.

The logical option for Monken would have been, of course, Patrick Ricard.

“Pat's a unicorn," Monken said, according to Cabot.

#Browns Todd Monken said he'd like to have a fullback. A source said they tried to sign former #Ravens FB Patrick Ricard in free agency. "Pat's a unicorn," Monken said.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) March 31, 2026

Unfortunately, that option is gone, as Ricard, who played the last three years under Monken for the Ravens, signed as a free agent with the Giants, following Baltimore’s former head coach John Harbaugh.

Told that the Giants' main competition for Ricard wasn't the Ravens — it was the Browns, who have former Ravens OC Todd Monken running the show https://t.co/cnux80KDWc
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) March 11, 2026

“Pancake Pat” is certainly a unique player, starting out his pro career as an undrafted free agent out of Maine before turning into a six-time Pro Bowler and one-time first-team All-Pro as a fullback, a position once thought of as a dying breed in the NFL. Ricard is a 300-pound bowling ball who has also caught seven touchdown passes throughout his career.

The Browns haven’t carried a permanent fullback on their roster since Andy Janovich for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Instead, Cleveland has relied on backup linemen and tight ends as lead blockers for the run game, with the Browns being one of only two teams in the NFL to use multiple tight end sets on over 50 percent of their offensive plays last year.

Where Can the Browns Find a Fullback for Todd Monken’s Offense?

The easisest path would likely be free agency, but options are anything but plentiful. According to a report by Heavy.com, Cleveland were meeting with 11-year veteran Michael Burton in addition to pursuing Ricard.

Ben VanSumeren, a converted linebacker who's played for the Eagles, could also be available.

Then, there's the 2026 NFL Draft, where options are set to be, in all likelihood, scarce as well.

Michigan’s Max Bredeson, Indiana’s Riley Nowakowski and Wisconsin’s Jackson Acker could certainly be looked at for the role, where a seventh-rounder or an undrafted-free agent contract could be enough to fill a roster spot.

Finally, the Browns could try a position switch of their own. Cleveland currently have four tight ends on their roster -- Harold Fannin Jr., Jack Stoll, Blake Whiteheart and Brenden Bates -- and the expectation is that one more tight end could be on its way via the draft. Fannin is locked in as the team's primary receiver at the position, and Stoll could be the primary blocker. Whiteheart and Bates are presumably too tall to be really effective as lead blockers in the run game, so bringing in a shorter tight end/H-back type could be an option, with a fullback role in mind.

In any case, supplying a lead blocker for starting running back Quinshon Judkins sounds intriguing. Monken will surely try to install a power-run scheme that con dominate the line of scrimmage and control the clock. Judkins -- who'll be coming back from a dislocated ankle and a fractured fibula -- only reached the 4.0 yard per carry once over his last 10 games, and four times over his 14 appearances. Changing those numbers seems high on Monken’s agenda.