Marc Trestman is the offensive coordinator in Baltimore now, so I think we need to keep an eye on how the Ravens use their running backs in the passing game. Trestman is proponent of using the short passing game like the running game – hit those guys with short balls and let them work.
All of this peaked last year when Matt Forte caught 102 passes, of course, but he’s just the lastest in a long line of backs who’ve caught lots of balls under Trestman.
In the last 20 years, only 19 backs have caught 80 passes in a season. Four of those guys were guys on four different teams where Trestman was calling the plays.
Larry Centers did it with the Cardinals in 2000. Charlie Garner caught 91 when Trestman was with the Raiders in 2002. Derek Loville turned in one of the most surprising receiving seasons by a running back in NFL history in 1995, catching 87 passes.
RUNNING BACKS WITH 80 CATCHES | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | No | Yards | Avg | TD |
2014 | Matt Forte | 102 | 808 | 7.9 | 4 |
1995 | Larry Centers | 101 | 962 | 9.5 | 2 |
2003 | LaDainian Tomlinson | 100 | 725 | 7.3 | 4 |
1996 | Larry Centers | 99 | 766 | 7.7 | 7 |
2002 | Charlie Garner | 91 | 941 | 10.3 | 4 |
2007 | Brian Westbrook | 90 | 771 | 8.6 | 5 |
2006 | Steven Jackson | 90 | 806 | 9.0 | 3 |
2006 | Reggie Bush | 88 | 742 | 8.4 | 2 |
2000 | Richie Anderson | 88 | 853 | 9.7 | 2 |
1999 | Marshall Faulk | 87 | 1,048 | 12.0 | 5 |
1995 | Derek Loville | 87 | 662 | 7.6 | 3 |
2011 | Darren Sproles | 86 | 710 | 8.3 | 7 |
1998 | Marshall Faulk | 86 | 908 | 10.6 | 4 |
2014 | LeVeon Bell | 83 | 854 | 10.3 | 3 |
2001 | Marshall Faulk | 83 | 765 | 9.2 | 9 |
2000 | Marshall Faulk | 81 | 830 | 10.2 | 8 |
2002 | Marshall Faulk | 80 | 537 | 6.7 | 2 |
2001 | Larry Centers | 80 | 620 | 7.8 | 2 |
2000 | Larry Centers | 80 | 600 | 7.5 | 3 |
Justin Forsett wasn’t a big part of Baltimore’s passing game last year, but I think his hands are good enough. He had some good receiving seasons early in this career.
They drafted Javorius Allen in the fourth round. He seems to have some ability to catch the ball.
The Ravens didn’t use Lorenzo Taliaferro much in the passing game during his rookie year, but he at least caught 8 of the 10 passes thrown to him.
—Ian Allan