Seahawks 2022 Free Agent Primer: Ethan Pocic

After posting a disappointing 7-10 record to finish in last place in the NFC West during the 2021 season, the Seahawks made an earlier than expected transition into what will be a critical offseason for the future of the franchise.

When the new league year opens on March 16, Seattle will have 15 players scheduled to hit the market as unrestricted free agents. Three players will be restricted free agents and 11 will be exclusive rights free agents, while several other key veterans such as receiver DK Metcalf will be entering the final season of their respective deals ready to negotiate extensions.

Over the next several weeks, I will break down each and every one of the Seahawks' unrestricted free agents by revisiting their 2021 seasons, assessing why they should or should not be re-signed, breaking down an ideal contract, and making an early prediction on whether or not the player will return in 2022.

Next up in the series, after returning on a one-year deal last March, will Seattle bring back Ethan Pocic to compete for the starting center job once again?

Season In Review

Pocic entered training camp as the favorite to retain his starting job, but a hamstring injury kept him out for most of training camp and the preseason, opening the door for Kyle Fuller to win the competition by default. The former second-round pick out of LSU then injured his knee in a season-opening win over the Colts, landing on injured reserve and missing the next three games. After his return, he eventually supplanted Fuller in the lineup and started each of Seattle's final 10 games at the pivot position.

Why Seattle Should Re-Sign Him

Though injuries once again dogged Pocic early on, once he regained a rhythm in Seattle's starting lineup, he played some of the best football of his career over the final two months of the season. Displaying much improved play strength at the point of attack and excelling working off combo blocks to the second level, he helped pave the way for running back Rashaad Penny to rush for nearly 700 yards and six touchdowns in the final five games. Ranking 10th among qualified centers, he earned the highest run blocking grade of his career (76.0) from Pro Football Focus. For the third straight season, he drew just a single penalty from officials and allowed only two sacks in pass protection.

Why Seattle Should Let Him Walk

Since entering the league, Pocic has missed a grand total of 23 games and been placed on injured reserve three different times, failing to stay healthy. Despite his dramatic improvements as a run blocker last season, he took a small step in the wrong direction in pass protection, allowing the same number of pressures (18) and more quarterback hits on Russell Wilson as he did in 2020 on roughly half of the pass protection snaps. As a result, he earned the lowest pass blocking grade of his career (43.8) from PFF, which ranked 31st out of 33 centers with at least 500 snaps. He hasn't proven he can consistently perform well in both areas, creating further questions about his viability as a starter in the future.

Ideal Contract

One year, $3.2 million

Prediction

As evidenced by their decision to re-sign him last season, the Seahawks hold Pocic in high regard due to his positional versatility and high football IQ. The decision to stick with him last offseason ultimately led to them passing on Creed Humphrey in the draft, however, and while he made strides in his second season as a starter, it remains up for debate whether or not he has what it takes to be a long-term answer at a critical position up front. Still, assuming he doesn't draw much interest elsewhere in free agent in similar fashion to a year ago and remains affordable, there's a good chance the team will bring him back to either compete to start again or settle into a role as a top-tier swing guard/center.