When the Cleveland Browns let J.C. Tretter walk this offseason, saving a little over $8 million in cap space, there were quite a few skeptics. Then when his heir in Nick Harris went down with a season-ending injury, there were cries for the Browns to bring Tretter back.
However, the Browns made a move to sign veteran center Ethan Pocic after cutting Tretter just in case their plan with Harris did not work out. And despite the cries to get a more proven veteran onto the roster after Harris went down, the Browns stood by their plan to let Pocic ride it out.
And thus far he has rewarded the Browns with his play on the field.
Through five games, and while he gets the luxury of playing between two Pro Bowl-caliber guards, Pocic has been nothing but steady and productive as the Browns continue to bury opposing teams on the ground.
What better reason to put a microscope on Pocic and break down some offensive line film?
An analytical view of Pocic
You do not need a metric to know the Browns have the best running game in the NFL. Running back Nick Chubb leads the NFL in rushing and is averaging six yards along the way. However, when looking at Expected Points Added per play, it is not even close as the Browns blow the rest of the 31 teams out of the water.
You do not need a metric to know the Browns have the best running game in the NFL. Running back Nick Chubb leads the NFL in rushing and is averaging six yards along the way. However, when looking at Expected Points Added per play, it is not even close as the Browns blow the rest of the 31 teams out of the water.
Football Outsiders then has the Browns as a top-five pass-blocking unit as well, with PFF grading out this offensive line as a top-10 unit as well. Much of this has to do with the fact that there is not a single weak link in this unit.
Pocic included.
Looking at Pocic’s PFF marks, he is graded out as the fifth-best center in all of football right now with a grade of 74.1. In terms of run blocking, he falls sixth with a mark of 72.8, as he also sits middle of the road in terms of pass blocking.
Pocic has been charted with just one sack surrendered, just one pressure per game, and no penalties committed. All-in-all, Pocic has been a rock-solid performer for the Browns at a position that looked vulnerable after the exit of Tretter and the injury to Harris.
We now turn from his analytical standing to what he was able to put on tape against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Pocic is getting mean in the run game
We hit briefly on Pocic’s run blocking grade according to PFF, but that high mark bled through directly onto his tape against the Chargers.
Throughout his career, Pocic has been known as a blocker who moves well, gets to the boundary with ease, and climbs to the second level seamlessly. However, Pocic put on his mean face against the Chargers as he racked up more than a couple of pancakes on the day as well.
This also did not deter away from what Pocic already does well, however. While he put a few guys in the dirt on Sunday, Pocic continued to win with savvy and athleticism as well. He is a perfect fit in this wide zone offense as he can get parallel with no loss of steam.
Pocic wins with body positioning and framing as well, sealing off rush lanes for Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt to scamper through. From physicality to precision, Pocic had the full array working against the Chargers.
Play strength and issue, but Pocic is winning with technique in pass protection
Working in pass protection is certainly the low point in Pocic’s game, but he has still been quite productive for the Browns as their passing game continues to be an efficient sight to behold as well. Bigger, more physical defensive tackles with a power and length profile will give Pocic fits, but he did an excellent job of letting his technique guide him against the Chargers.
Players with a more slender build often have to rely on what is called the bearhug technique, and Pocic used it frequently on Sunday. What the bear hug technique does is pull the interior offensive lineman almost chest-to-chest with the defensive linemen. This is an effective way of stealing leverage from longer, more physical pass rushers as they cannot get their arms extended and into the chest of the man across from them.
He is playing with a good base and with good balance, solidifying he will not get out over his hips and bend at the waist. Sticking with pass protection, we go even further to how Pocic has been able to win when the Browns drop back to pass.
His fluidity and change of direction is shining
The ability Pocic has put on tape to change directions with stunting interior players has been a splendid treat to watch. Mirroring his man well, Pocic is a hard man to shake using twitch.
When a defender does successfully cross his face, however, Pocic did an excellent job of redirecting and using the defender’s own momentum to drive them out and away from the play. This happened more than once as Pocic showed great prowess to recover and work himself back into a winning position.
Pocic’s change of direction shines through, however, when he is passing off and picking up stunts. Pocic has no issue sticking his foot in the ground, shifting his weight, and remaining in his gap to take on a defender the guard is passing inside.
Patience, eyes, and timing keep Pocic in great position
Pocic loses a few ugly reps per game, and most of this has to do with his patience. Against the Chargers on Sunday, however, Pocic played well within himself, stayed balanced, and did not go out of his way looking to strike. As a result, he may have played his best football game as a pro.
It is not a bad thing when a pass blocker is not engaging someone right off the snap. Instead, these linemen are playing their zones, and Pocic does an excellent job to keep his eyes and peripherals peeled to his zone. Patience.
He is not over-eager to let his hands do the talking either. If Pocic throws his hands too early, he is giving the pass rusher a target to aim for. Instead, Pocic has played well within himself with well-timed punches and latches. Patience.
And finally, and pulling at the heartstrings of every coach out there, Pocic’s eyes do not stop after the initial threat as he was out for blood against the Chargers. With active eyes, Pocic was looking for work from start to finish, from whistle-to-whistle.
What the future holds for Pocic
Who knows what the future holds for Pocic at this point? However, at just the age of 27, it is apparent that Pocic is playing his best football in this offensive system with plenty of years left in his career.
He was brought in to be a fallback in case the plan with young center Nick Harris did not work out. And while it is unfortunate that Harris was put out for the season after just one preseason snap, Pocic has risen to the opportunity. It is hard to say, where we sit today, that the Browns should let a proven commodity walk because of what another player could be.
General Manager Andrew Berry and his team tend to get out ahead of any potential contract extension, so it would not be a shock to see them get in front of Pocic as well. There is no reason to expect Pocic to break the bank either, as he will not get the same types of deals the likes of top centers Erik McCoy or Frank Ragnow have received.
However, if the Browns can extend Pocic along the same parameters as that of Brian Allen, Mitch Morse, or David Andrews, it would be a win. Pocic has earned it with his play on the field in 2022.
