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Ethan Pocic signs with Ravens, replaces departing Linderbaum

7/18/2026

Summary

Pocic Joins Ravens

Ethan Pocic signed a one-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens on July 17, 2026.
The 31-year-old center, cleared after a December Achilles tear, will compete for Baltimore’s starting center position.
He could replace former Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum, who departed for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Analysts say a healthy Pocic will likely win the job, raising Browns’ line-depth concerns after they added Elgton Jenkins, Zion Johnson and Tytus Howard.

Summary

Minter Takes Helm

Jesse Minter will begin 2026 as the Ravens' head coach with a Super Bowl-targeted roster.
The 2026 draft added guard Olaivavega Ioane and seventh-round lineman Evan Beerntsen, leaving the center spot vacant.
Tyler Linderbaum signed a three-year, $81 million contract with the Raiders, the largest ever for an interior offensive lineman.
Baltimore’s other centers—Danny Pinter, Jovaughn Gwyn and Corey Bullock—have combined only ten career starts, all by Pinter.

History

Historical Context

After being drafted in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL draft, Jason Kelce became the Eagles’ starting center and earned seven Pro Bowls. He signed a one-year extension on March 2 2019 and, by March 2022, secured a $14 million deal that made him the league’s highest-paid center, illustrating the NFL’s escalating market for interior linemen.

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Pocic Joins Ravens

Ethan Pocic signed a one-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens on July 17, 2026.
The 31-year-old center, cleared after a December Achilles tear, will compete for Baltimore’s starting center position.
He could replace former Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum, who departed for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Analysts say a healthy Pocic will likely win the job, raising Browns’ line-depth concerns after they added Elgton Jenkins, Zion Johnson and Tytus Howard.

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