Ethan Pocic should be the Browns top priority to re-sign
By Randy Gurzi
The Cleveland Browns didn’t make headlines when they signed Ethan Pocic last offseason but he proved to be a great addition and needs to be re-signed in 2023
When the Cleveland Browns brought in former Seattle Seahawks center Ethan Pocic, it didn’t seem to move the needle. It wasn’t that it was seen as a bad move, it just felt as though they were getting some insurance in case Nick Harris was unable to hold down the job following the release of J.C. Tretter.
It didn’t take long for Cleveland to cash in on that insurance either as Harris was lost for the season on their very first drive of the preseason. There were immediate calls for them to reach out to Tretter and try to bring him back but Cleveland showed faith in Pocic.
They were rewarded for that as he wound up not only holding down the job but was the No. 3 center in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus. And if there were any questions about his effectiveness, all you needed to do was watch the struggles in the middle of their line during the four games he missed due to injury.
Pocic was a quiet leader on the line who excelled in run blocking but also held his own in pass protection — which was an issue for the rest of the line in 2022. Now heading into the offseason, he becomes a free agent and should be atop the priority list for Cleveland when they decide who to try and retain.
Ethan Pocic should be in the Browns plans going forward
Cleveland is fortunate in the fact that they have Harris under center but he suddenly becomes the insurance. Pocic’s performance was better than anything they expected from Harris and with continued durability concerns on the line, it would be nice to have him as a depth piece.
As for Pocic, he needs to be the starter again in 2023. His ability to hold up against the run and pass while also making the right adjustments at the line will be crucial as they aim to get their offense back on track next year.
Pocic has also come out and said he was interested in returning, which makes such a decision even easier. Cleveland had far too many gaffes on the O-line to lose one of their key pieces.
