Ravens C Danny Pinter Out For Season According to Report, With Veteran Ethan Pocic Headed To Starting Job

The Ravens depth at center has been a primary roster issue all offseason and it’s again under scrutiny with veteran free-agent Danny Pinter suffering what’s being reported as a season-ending injury.

The Ravens signed Ethan Pocic, with over 5000 snaps of center experience at the NFL level, to be the starting center late in the offseason as he recovers from season-ending Achilles surgery. Pinter was the likely front-runner prior to that development, but he is better suited as a versatile depth interior offensive lineman. Pinter was carted off from a joint practice with the Vikings Wednesday with what NFL Network reports is a torn patella tendon.

Head coach Jesse Minter did not get into any specifics on the injury and said Pinter will see more specialists. "Looks like he'll definitely miss some time," Minter said after Thursday's practice with Vikings.

Pinter was earning strong reviews for his work, getting a lot of starting looks with Pocic not fully cleared to play until late week. Pocic played briefly in Saturday’s preseason opener and is one of the rare veterans on Minter's squad to see action in exhibition games as he ramps up his recovery from his surgery.

“I felt like we kind of targeted this second week of the preseason of kind of ramping up into more of the action anyway,” Minter said of Pocic this week. “It is why you sign guys like that — is to, one, put them in the competition, two, to make sure you have enough in that situation. You do not ever want to see anybody go down, but certainly feel good about the way 'Jo' [Jovaughn Gwyn] played in the game and obviously about Ethan in the way that he has played throughout his whole career."

Pocic played 13 snaps in the opening game, and the Ravens had to beat out several suitors to sign him. It was always with intentions of him starting Week 1 if healthy enough to do so, and that remains the case. With compromised depth behind him now, and not much available in terms of street free agents, perhaps Minter will be careful with Pocic’s work in the final preseason games too.

Other Options

Pinter was signed to a vet-minimum type deal after Tyler Linderbaum went to Las Vegas for a record center contract. Pinter has appeared in 77 games with just 10 starts for the Colts, more versatile than a regular veteran. Pocic, 31, has started at least 10 games in six straight years, including 13 for the Browns last season.

Gwyn has been the center creating the most surprising buzz in camp, as a player who was primarily on special teams during his Falcons career has quickly moved up the depth chart in Baltimore. He played under Ravens offensive line coach/run game coordinator Dwyane Ledford in Atlanta and could be an interesting piece, but thinking he is going to start if a little naïve.

NFL analyst Brian Baldinger was adamant through the offseason that the Ravens could not use Pinter of Gwyn or recent un-drafted signee Corey Bullock with the first string, and he began calling for Pocic's signing in particular after the draft. It wasn't to add just another body to the mix, it was to address a gaping roster hole.

“Really powerful and athletic,” Minter said of Gwynn. “I would say that he has been really well-trained, because our offensive line coach has coached him for the last few years. So, he really understands how we want to play, which is great.

“He has been in a similar system, some of the wide-zone stuff that the Falcons ran, and a lot of familiarity with Coach Ledford and how he operates. So, he is definitely great to have."

Gwyn has played 11 offensive snaps in his entire NFL career; Pocic has played 5967. Gwyn has never played more than six offensive snaps in a game, primarily a special-teams contributor. We’re talking about snapping the ball to Lamar Jackson, a two-time MVP, who is in a radically new offense for the first time in his career with a novice offensive coordinator calling plays.

That 30-year-old coordinator, Declan Doyle, spent most of his career around Broncos coach Sean Payton, he is implementing Payton’s offense and Payton told me how important having a veteran center is to his installation when he joined me on “The Daily Flock Show.” Keeping Pocic healthy and ready for Week 1 is essential.

Minter said the front office is always seeking quality players but did not give the impression that he felt a roster move was imminent. "I do like the room we have," Minter said.

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