The Ravens may have found more than just a stopgap at center in Ethan Pocic. They’ve added a veteran who, at least in the eyes of one of his former teammates, brings the kind of steadiness and attention to detail that can settle an offensive line fast.
Joel Bitonio didn’t hold back when asked about Pocic on the Ryan Ripken Show. The former Browns lineman, who spent the last four seasons working right beside Pocic, painted a picture of a player who never drifted from the task at hand.
“[Pocic’s] locked in all the time ... I used to tell him it's okay to blink every once in a while because he was just so dialed in,” Bitonio said.
“I think at the center position that’s what you want-this guy has to know the calls for everybody … The thing that makes him special is he is dedicated to the game. He loves the game.
He’s a great person, great locker room guy, someone you want on your sideline.”
That kind of praise carries weight. Bitonio isn’t just any ex-teammate; he’s a five-time All-Pro who saw Pocic up close through 97 career starts and a stretch in Cleveland that included three Pro Bowl selections and a first-team All-Pro nod for Bitonio himself. If anyone knows what Pocic looks like on a day-to-day basis, it’s him.
For Baltimore, the timing matters. Pocic arrives just ahead of training camp with what looks like a real chance to fill the opening left by Tyler Linderbaum.
There are still fair questions attached to the move. Pocic is a nine-year veteran, and he’s coming off an Achilles tear, so the uncertainty isn’t hard to understand.
But the Ravens are betting on more than health here. They’re betting on communication, command and the kind of mental sharpness that can keep an offense from fraying in the middle. Bitonio said Pocic carried extra responsibility in Cleveland because of the inexperience at quarterback, and while Baltimore won’t ask him to manage that same burden, he’ll still be working next to a rookie guard in Vega Ioane.
Ioane enters with plenty of buzz after his work at Penn State, where he drew praise as the best guard prospect since Quenton Nelson. Even so, he’s still a rookie, and the growing pains figure to show up early, especially in the first half of the year.
That’s where Pocic’s value could show up immediately. If he’s healthy and playing to his usual standard, he gives Baltimore a center who can set protections, keep everyone aligned and make life easier for the rest of the front. The Ravens still need him to prove he can stay an above-average lineman after the injury, but if he does, the signing starts to look a lot more like a stabilizing move than a gamble.
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