The Ravens’ latest roster move has stirred up more than just the usual offseason chatter. Baltimore signed veteran center Ethan Pocic to a one-year deal, a move that fits the franchise’s habit of hunting for value. The idea is for Pocic to eventually step in for former Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum once he is fully healthy and ready to go.
But in Las Vegas, some fans saw something else entirely.
Levi Dombro of Just Blog Baby, FanSided’s Raiders site, took the signing as a shot at the Raiders and, more specifically, Maxx Crosby. Crosby, as the story goes, was supposed to wind up in Baltimore before the Ravens backed away from the deal.
Dombro framed the Pocic move as hypocrisy from a team that supposedly had concerns about Crosby’s health, then turned around and signed a player coming off a torn ACL. He wrote: "To be fair, signing Pocic to a one-year deal worth up to $4.5 million is a bit different than wagering two first-rounders and $35.5 million per year on Crosby.
And, for what it's worth, Pocic's doctor said that he is cleared and can participate in training camp, even if the Ravens are still awaiting a physical. However, Crosby is a way better player, and his doctor also said that he would be cleared by training camp," Dombro wrote.
"The fact that the Ravens are signing an injury-prone 30-year-old coming off an Achilles tear to replace Linderbaum is just purely disrespectful to the Raiders after the ringer that they put Las Vegas through this spring. Baltimore continues to make itself a bigger enemy to Raider Nation."
There is at least some logic to the complaint. Baltimore is bringing in an injured veteran to fill a major spot, and that can look odd from the outside.
Still, the price tag matters here. Pocic is on a bargain one-year contract, and the Ravens didn’t have to surrender much to get him.
He also brings proven production at a position the team needed to address. Crosby is a different level of player, but Baltimore clearly decided its original path wasn’t the right one and pulled out of the arrangement.
That part of the saga is still clearly bothering Raiders fans.
For Ravens fans, this is just another reminder that Raiders supporters will take any opening they can get. The real answer will come on the field, where Baltimore will be judged by whether these moves work and whether the team bounces back in 2026.
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