Patriots rumors: 3 free agent O-line targets of quality and depth
New England Patriots free agent targets: Ethan Pocic
This is another counter-intuitive move by New England since with Andrews re-signing the center position seems to be covered. Ethan Pocic is a young center who previously played for the Seattle Seahawks.
Pocic is a good enough player to have replaced Andrews and could certainly serve as a high-quality backup and possibly with his size have position flexibility, as well.
Pocic at age 26 fits the bill. He has an attribute you can’t teach, size. He’s 6’6″ tall and 320 pounds.
Corey Linsley, probably the best center available if not the best in football has left Green Bay for the LA Chargers, would have been a great replacement for Andrews had he left.
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Yet, Ethan Pocic would have been a good starting option, as well, and definitely would be a terrific addition to the team in any event.
Walterfootball.com rates him as the fourth-best free-agent center on the market this offseason. Here’s what they say about Pocic,
"Ethan Pocic, C, Seahawks. Age: 26. Ethan Pocic is a young center who has improved each year. He has plenty of upside as a 26-year-old."
Left tackle may be covered ostensibly by Trent Brown, as a previous article explained, and right tackle by Isaiah Wynn or Michael Onwenu. Yet, Bill Belichick has to be acutely aware that you can never have enough top offensive lineman on your squad.
Pocic is young, talented, and would be a great fit at the center, and could probably move to guard or even tackle with some coaching. He has the size to fit any of all five offensive positions. Would Pocic be a luxury signing? No question. Would he be a good one? Absolutely.
These are three options for New England to provide solid depth to an offensive line that is annually hit with injuries. They should be expected and prepared for. Any of the three cited above would fit the bill.
They would add not only depth but also competition to the starters. That’s a situation that hardly exists with the depth currently available on New England’s roster. There is very little.
At least one of the above should be signed to provide that depth and competition. We’ll see if they make this prudent move.
Next. Patriots rumors: 3 free agent wide receiver targets of supreme talent. dark
Things are moving quickly in free agency. Let’s see how these situations evolve. While losing Thuney hurt, re-signing David Andrews is huge.
In addition, they have re-acquired Ted Karras, who is solid as insurance. New England’s draft track record drafting offensive linemen of late (the sixth-round surprise Onwenu excepted) has been poor. So it behooves Belichick to further solidify the offensive line in free agency.
One way or another, it looks like the Patriots will have a top offensive line in 2021. And after the quarterback, that’s where all the success begins.