NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 If John Harbaugh were coaching a Pop Warner football team, fullback Patrick Ricard told him he\u2019d want to be involved in some way, even if that meant being the water boy.<\/p>\n
Harbaugh coaches the New York Giants<\/a> now, so following him there was much easier.<\/p>\n Ricard is one of at least four former Baltimore Ravens players joining Harbaugh<\/a> with the Giants. He and tight end Isaiah Likely signed their contracts Thursday, while defensive back Ar\u2019Darius Washington and All-Pro punter Jordan Stout agreed to terms earlier this week when the NFL\u2019s free agency period began.<\/p>\n \u201cAs soon as I saw he got the job here, I was definitely interested,\u201d Ricard said on a video call with reporters. \u201cAs soon as he was interested in me coming here, I was all in. I was just ready to just sign a contract and let\u2019s get going.\u201d<\/p>\n The Ravens fired Harbaugh<\/a> after losing the season finale<\/a> to Pittsburgh. Likely had a would-be game-winning touchdown catch overturned on video review that if it held up, he said, \u201cI\u2019d still be in Baltimore\u201d because Harbaugh might have kept his job.<\/p>\n Moving past that butterfly effect of what could have changed, Likely credits the culture Harbaugh instills for explaining why he and others want to keep playing for the 63-year-old Super Bowl-winning coach.<\/p>\n \u201cWith Harbs the mantra was always be disciplined, you\u2019re going to give 110% effort for a whole 60 minutes and understand that you\u2019ll never go into a game thinking negative,\u201d said Likely, who signed for three years and $40 million. \u201cI feel like that\u2019s the best mantra to have going into any organization having Harbs as your leader.\u201d<\/p>\n Harbaugh and Joe Schoen aren\u2019t just pulling from Baltimore. On Thursday, the Giants agreed to sign former Pittsburgh receiver Calvin Austin to a $4.5 million contract for next season, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus. <\/p>\n Austin, who will be 27 next season, along with Likely is part of the effort to replace Wan\u2019Dale Robinson, who followed former Giants coach Brian Daboll<\/a> \u2014 now the Titans\u2019 offensive coordinator \u2014 to Tennessee. Austin had 31 catches for 372 yards and three touchdowns with the Steelers last season.<\/p>\n Robinson last year became just the third player 5-foot-8 or shorter since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving. Likely is 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, and yet it seems like he is ticketed to line up in the slot in Matt Nagy\u2019s offense<\/a>.<\/p>\n Likely did that under Harbaugh and Todd Monken with the Ravens and is very comfortable in that role.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like in the slot you get to see a lot more \u2014 right now, right then and there,\u201d Likely said, adding he enjoys moving around like a chess piece. <\/p>\n No matter where Likely is on the field, he provides a big, reliable target for quarterback Jaxson Dart, who\u2019s going into his second professional season. The two have been texting since becoming teammates, and Dart might have been another big reason Likely picked the Giants.<\/p>\n \u201cHe got me here,\u201d Likely said with a laugh. \u201cExcited to get out there and play with him. When you watch him, you see the type of drive he has to win any game by any means necessary. You love that, when you have a quarterback like that that\u2019s ready to do whatever it takes to win the game.\u201d<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n