Ethan

Pocic

Pocic missed Week 6 with the knee issue but returned to the lineup last week. He played all 84 offensive snaps according to Pro Football Fous. His DNP on Wednesday could just be maintenance for a player still still working through a tricky knee injury. If he did re-injure his knee, Nick Harris would take over at center.

Pocic suffered a knee injury in Week 5 against the Commanders and didn’t suit up for Week 6. Pocic was limited in Thursday’s practice and could have a shot to suit up on Sunday if he can get on the field again on Friday. If he can’t go, backup Nick Harris will be scheduled for another start. In addition to Pocic, the Browns also listed safety Juan Thornhill (calf), and linebacker Jordan Hicks (elbow/triceps) as questionable.

Pocic suffered the knee injury in Week 5 while playing through an ankle injury. He underwent an MRI after the game and did not practice this week. Backup center Nick Harris should take his spot in the lineup this week.

The hits keep coming for Njoku, who had been sidelined for the last three weeks with an ankle injury. In his first game back, the veteran tight end played on 25 snaps before suffering a knee injury that could see him miss additional time. In addition to Njoku, head coach Kevin Stefanski said cornerback Denzel Ward (hamstring) and center Ethan Pocic (knee) will also have MRIs.

Center Ethan Pocic was removed from the injury report while fellow offensive tackle Jedrick Wills (knee) is listed as questionable. Conklin began the year recovering from a knee injury. Just when it looked like he was ready to return, Conklin tweaked his hamstring. Deshaun Watson would greatly benefit from getting both of his tackles healthy for Week 5, but that is far from the only thing that the Browns need to address on offense.

This marks Conklin’s first practice in nearly two weeks. The veteran tackle last practiced ahead of the Browns’ Week 3 matchup against the Giants but has yet to suit up for a game. We’ll see if he’s able to play in Week 5 against the Commanders, but things remain very wait-and-see with him as of right now. In addition to Conklin, Jedrick Wills (knee), Ethan Pocic (ankle), and Myles Garrett (Achilles) also returned to practice, although Garrett will probably see light practices weeks going forward given the nature of his injuries.

T Jedrick Wills Jr. (knee) and C Ethan Pocic (ankle) likewise were unable to practice. The Browns’ injury-ruined offensive line has allowed a league-high 66 QB pressures through four games. The protection issues appear likely to continue, given Wednesday’s injury report.

Pocic suffered the ankle injury on an extra point in Week 4 and did not return. Backup center Nick Harris took over and immediately struggled. He cost the Browns an 82-yard touchdown with a holding penalty late in the game and later snapped the ball when Deshaun Watson wasn’t ready, forcing his quarterback to fall on the ball for a loss of yards and the down. Pocic is far from the only offensive lineman in Cleveland who is injured, exacerbating the many flaws of Watson.

Pocic signed a one-year, $1.2 million deal with the Browns after a ho-hum five years in Seattle. He started all 13 games he was healthy for in Cleveland and put together the best season of his career. Pro Football Focus ranked him as their No. 3 center in 2022. He allowed just two sacks and was graded as a top-10 center in run and pass-blocking. With the Browns’ offensive line being one of the highlights of the offense in 2022, keeping Pocic around makes sense for both sides.

Pocic hit injured reserve almost exactly a month ago, so he spent the minimum amount of time out. Cleveland’s been starting Hjalte Froholdt in Pocic’s absence.