Pocic at Center

[springscohawk]

Everyone is talking about BJ Finney as the new center and Joey Hunt at backup

Perhaps we are all forgetting about Ethan Pocic? He was a second round pick by Seahawks!

For many evaluators he was projected as the top Center prospect the year he was drafted.

Perhaps he is the younger version of Justin Britt?

He has a couple years experience in NFL but has been held back by injury.

Based upon past draft capital ending up paying off, I would like to see Ethan Pocic win Center job outright this year and be their starting center going forward!

 

[jammerhawk]

JMO but Pocic will be at the centre till at McDonalds before he becomes the starting C for the Hawks.

He never was strong enough to play well inside, hasn't progressed much in that regard, and has been slowly slipping down the OLine DC for a few seasons now. He only lost time to injury last season. He's Cable/Fable pick and simply lacks the anchor needed to play inside. Hunt has outplayed him and Hunt is clearly a backup level C.

I could fairly and reasonably foresee him not making the team this season unless his play improves significantly.

 

[springscohawk]

JMO but Pocic will be at the centre till at McDonalds before he becomes the starting C for the Hawks.

He never was strong enough to play well inside, hasn't progressed much in that regard, and has been slowly slipping down the OLine DC for a few seasons now. He only lost time to injury last season. He's Cable/Fable pick and simply lacks the anchor needed to play inside. Hunt has outplayed him and Hunt is clearly a backup level C.

I could fairly and reasonably foresee him not making the team this season unless his play improves significantly.

Jammerhawk, you are right Joey Hunt has outplayed him and Pocic may not make team. However, Pocic has bulked up and should be strong enough to play Center, although not a sufficient anchor to play starting left or right guard in our scheme. Britt didn't look good year he started at guard and ended up being a decent center.

What we don't know about Pocic related to fitness to be center in NFL is leadership, smarts, intangibles. I remember before season last year, 710 radio hosts like Dave Wyman and others saying they were impressed by how Pocic was carrying himself, talking, looking and sounding like an NFL professional.

 

[jammerhawk]

Time will tell with Pocic, without a doubt. This is a contract year for him, he's clearly underplayed his early draft status, and his cap savings if cut is $1,066,233. He is cheaper than Hunt to keep by just less than $1.1Mil. for the year though.

 

[nrayorr]

One thing that we have to remember in all of this is that Britt could be picked up again by us unless he was signed by someone else recently, but I haven't seen anything.

 

[jammerhawk]

I could see Britt taking a year off to rehab his knee and collecting the $1.2 mil the team would have to pay him as an injury settlement.

 

[springscohawk]

Time will tell with Pocic, without a doubt. This is a contract year for him, he's clearly underplayed his early draft status, and his cap savings if cut is $1,066,233. He is cheaper than Hunt to keep for the year though.

Interesting facts regarding cost of Pocic versus Hunt. If Finney is starter and choice is between Pocic and Hunt as backup, it appears Hunt has intangibles and respect from Carroll and Schneider.

I don't think Britt and Pocic are equal. Britt had advantage of being full time starter for 2 years prior to moving to center while Pocic has hardly played.

 

[springscohawk]

One thing that we have to remember in all of this is that Britt could be picked up again by us unless he was signed by someone else recently, but I haven't seen anything.

Yeah, in an offseason without OTAs and possibly shortened training camp, it could be hard for Finney or Pocic to develop sufficient chemistry with line.

 

[Largent80]

Pocic has shown exactly Jack Squat at any position he has played since being drafted. Is that his fault?...who knows but to project him anything other than a failure so far is reaching.
I'm seeing him as a cut. Lets give the youngsters a chance to do what he couldn't.

 

[AgentDib]

There's nothing wrong with trying to predict a winner early, but there should be a strong competition for the position this year that any of the three could win in training camp and none of them should be written off (yet). We don't know anything about how each of them handles the mental component and we've seen first hand how much that backfired in 2015 when we went with Nowak over Lewis.

Pocic has a lanky frame and his issues at guard have revolved around poor leverage. That isn't such a problem at center but he still needs sufficient strength to avoid being manhandled by the A'Shawn Robinson's of the NFL.

 

[Largent80]

Pocic so far has been a failure. A Tom Cable lineman with a second round pick......He's underwhelming on his best day.

 

[Jville]

Pocic was selected by a previous staff. Those previous staff preferences have given way to more of a power scheme during his time in Seattle where second level and uncovered movement and blocking are secondary to power. Concern over his limited core strength expressed itself over the last 2 years thru a series of back and groin and core injuries. Pad level is always a challenge for anyone 6' 6" or more playing in the interior.

With Pocic, the results from his off season work and rehab will become apparent once the competition begins. His health and how he fits into the new scheme will determine the outcome of what his role will be and where he plays in 2020.

 

[Largent80]

He is what he is= Underwhelming and a waste of a draft pick, Prove it otherwise,

 

[Jville]

He is what he is= Underwhelming and a waste of a draft pick, Prove it otherwise,

This is not the Smack Shack.

 

[Osprey]

He is what he is= Underwhelming and a waste of a draft pick, Prove it otherwise,

The only one who can prove or disprove it is Pocic. We’re just fans speculating even if to date the evidence is heavily supporting your opinion.

 

[jammerhawk]

Hey L-80 why so confrontational?

 

[sdog1981]

Pocic will be a Pro-Bowl center. The joke in every Oline meeting room is "centers don't block". That is why Britt went from liability to Pro-Bowl player by moving from tackle to guard to center. He always was a center and should have only played center.

 

[springscohawk]

There's nothing wrong with trying to predict a winner early, but there should be a strong competition for the position this year that any of the three could win in training camp and none of them should be written off (yet). We don't know anything about how each of them handles the mental component and we've seen first hand how much that backfired in 2015 when we went with Nowak over Lewis.

Pocic has a lanky frame and his issues at guard have revolved around poor leverage. That isn't such a problem at center but he still needs sufficient strength to avoid being manhandled by the A'Shawn Robinson's of the NFL.

Thanks for this thoughtful post. I like the idea of strong competition and hope Pocic gets a real chance to complete at center with Finney and Hunt. A wasted 2nd round pick to fit a former coach Cable offensively lineman criteria is hard to swallow, so stirring the pot and trying to stay optimistic.

When Pocic was selected I remember the board trying to be positive that he was actually a college offensive lineman and not a defensive line convert or combine SPARQ winner. Maybe more of a lunch box type with real skills. A replacement for Britt down the road?

If he doesn't make it on the depth chart at Center, hopefully starter, I don't think he makes team at Guard with all the road grader talent they have brought in. Hopefully Haynes and Simmons can stay healthy and complete at left and right guard respectively.

 

[Appyhawk]

Competition WOULD prove a lot. Question is whether or not we will be afforded the opportunity for said competition. If not, I would give the edge to Finney on the basis of successful experience, in combination with what we've seen from both Pocic and Hunt. IMO that isn't even a contest.
Lewis will win out for one guard, and Iupati the left. Brown is the anchor at LT. The competition will be to see who can try to handle the vacant RT spot. I've never been a Jets fan, so what does that leave us?

 

[nrayorr]

Pocic will be a Pro-Bowl center. The joke in every Oline meeting room is "centers don't block". That is why Britt went from liability to Pro-Bowl player by moving from tackle to guard to center. He always was a center and should have only played center.

Britt being center is why I believe he will be back. JMO.