Latest league news for Wednesday April 6

Cleveland’s plan to replace the incumbent NFLPA president will feature two main characters.

The Browns announced the signing of veteran center Ethan Pocic on Wednesday.

Pocic is moving to Cleveland after five seasons in Seattle, where the Seahawks made a second-round selection to the LSU All-American in hopes of cementing the center position. He appeared in 57 games (40 starts) over five seasons, but never quite became the player the Seahawks were looking for until the franchise had pretty much moved on.

After his rookie contract expired, Pocic re-signed with Seattle in 2021 on a one-year contract, which proves it. He compiled his best season of his career, according to Pro Football Focus, earning the highest offensive rating (67.3) in his five NFL seasons. It was a mark heavily dependent on his production in rushing attack, as he continued to be average at best in pass protection.

Pocic’s skill set could be a good match for Cleveland, where the Browns have built an offense around a wide-area scheme with a nimble offensive line led by famed assistant Bill Callahan. He’ll have to battle third-year center Nick Harris, a former Browns Day 3 pick who played adequately as a guard when Cleveland suffered multiple losses along the offensive line late in the season. 2020.

With Cleveland releasing JC Tretter and signing Pocic, the competition for the starting center job has officially begun. The silver lining for the Browns: Both should be able to serve as strong guards as well.