What To Do With Le’Ron McClain
By Riley B
In 2008, Le’Ron McClain was the Baltimore Ravens primary runningback and the team’s leading rusher. Since then, Le’Ron has slowly faded away in the Raven’s offense and taken the role of fullback. The fullback position is very under-appreciated in the NFL. A fullback is the workhorse of the team and he leads the runningback to a touchdown yet receives little fame or glory. McClain has accepted the role as fullback but would preferably run the ball more. As the end of the lockout and the beginning of free agency grows nearer, one may wonder what Le’Ron McClain’s priorities are when it comes to signing with a team.
"I have no problem getting in there blocking and getting dirty because I love contact. I just want to take my game to another level. No disrespect to anybody, not (offensive coordinator) Cam (Cameron), not (coach) John Harbaugh, not (running backs)Ray Rice or Willis (McGahee). I just don’t want to disrespect my game anymore, like I feel like I’ve done these last two years. – Le’Ron McClain via Baltimore Sun"
Le’Ron McClain has showed that he is a great and capable runner. I believe he can be a fullback in the Ravens offense while still getting carries here and there. When Lorenzo Neal left after the ’08 season, a void in fullback warranted Le’Ron to fill the position. Since then he has become one of the best fullbacks in the leagues. He can catch out of the backfield, block like no other, and has displayed his running ability on numerous occasion. If the Ravens want to continue running the ball successfully, they MUST keep McClain. I can not emphasize this enough. There have been countless times where I have seen Le’Ron McClain blast linebackers out of holes and pave the way for long Ray Rice touchdowns. He is a pivotal part of the Ravens offense and I can’t see them keeping their offensive identity without him. With the lockout hopefully ending next week, free agency will begin and we will learn the fate of Le’Ron McClain. Teams are rumored to have a 72 hour window to resign their own free agents and if he does not return to the Ravens during that time, it will be a huge loss to the team. If he does resign, let’s hope that he gets some more carries. I know he would enjoy that but if you remain doubtful, maybe you should take a look at the video below.