Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primer: Ethan Pocic
With the calendar flipping to July and offseason programs recently wrapping up, NFL training camps will begin around the league in less than a month. To celebrate the new incoming season, we will be breaking down the Seahawks' 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2021 campaign.
Ethan Pocic, Center
Height/Weight: 6-foot-6, 320 pounds
2020 Stats: 14 starts, 18 pressures allowed, 2.0 sacks allowed
Having previously struggled to stay healthy and etch out a role for himself, Pocic finally became a featured member of the Seahawks' offensive line in 2020. With Justin Britt gone, the former second-round pick out of LSU got his first extended look at his natural position, center, in the fourth and final year of his rookie contract and played well early on. But after returning from a concussion that kept him out for two games in the middle of the season, Pocic's weekly performances became more hit-or-miss. That all came to a head in the worst way possible in the Seahawks' wild-card defeat to the Rams, in which Pocic was tagged with two penalties and a 33.3 pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus. But despite the rough second half of the season, Seattle retained Pocic in free agency, foregoing other options both on the market and in the draft. Now he'll get a chance to prove he belongs on a more long-term basis, playing for his future as an NFL starter on a one-year deal.
Best Case Scenario: Pocic looks more alike the player seen in the first half of the 2020 season, maintaining a strong rapport with Russell Wilson and providing solid interior protection and run blocking.
Worst Case Scenario: Pocic's woes carry over into 2021, capping the offense's ceiling and opening the door for Kyle Fuller to step in.
What to Expect in 2021: After Wilson voiced his displeasure with the team's construction of its offensive line in February, fans pounded the table for upgrades to be made with Pocic on the free agent market. Naturally, when Pocic was brought back and no further additions were made, the reception was not so positive. But the Seahawks are confident the fifth-year center can get back to what made him successful in the first half of the 2020 season. If not, they could have legitimate problems along their offensive line once again, which would lead to more offensive struggles. This is a make-or-break season for Pocic, and quite a bit of the team's success is riding on him as well. It's a pretty big gamble for Seattle to take, which could get Pocic paid in the offseason with a solid campaign or whittle his career down to fringe backup status with another clunker.
Previous Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primers
Alex McGough | Darvin Kidsy | Greg Eiland | Joshua Moon | Cam Sutton | Walter Palmore | Jared Hocker | Brad Lundblade | Aashari Crosswell | Myles Adams | Jon Rhattigan | Aaron Fuller | Bryan Mills I Jake Curhan | Jarrod Hewitt | Connor Wedington | Nate Evans | Danny Etling | John Ursua | Gavin Heslop | Pier-Oliver Lestage | Tamorrion Terry | Tommy Champion | Cody Thompson | Josh Johnson | Saivion Smith | Jordan Miller | Aaron Donkor | Robert Nkemdiche | Alex Collins | Tyler Mabry | Damarious Randall | Cade Johnson | Cedrick Lattimore | Phil Haynes | Geno Smith | Kyle Fuller | Travis Homer | Tyler Ott | Rasheem Green | Ben Burr-Kirven | Penny Hart | Jamarco Jones | Aldon Smith | DeeJay Dallas | Nick Bellore | Stone Forsythe | Colby Parkinson | Al Woods | Cedric Ogbuehi | Alton Robinson | Jordan Simmons | Pierre Desir | Ryan Neal | Tre Flowers | Michael Dickson | Jason Myers | Freddie Swain | Cody Barton | Bryan Mone | Benson Mayowa | Rashaad Penny | Ugo Amadi
