The Browns enjoyed a surprisingly high level of play at center in 2022, and the player responsible for that is set to remain in place. Cleveland is expected to re-sign Ethan Pocic, as first noted (on Twitter) by CBS Sports’ Josinia Anderson. Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com adds that a deal is in place (Twitter link). 
Providing financial terms on the deal, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network tweets that the Browns are giving Pocic a three-year, $18MM contract. Incentives could push the value higher, but that base figure point to how the team is reacting to his success in his debut Cleveland season. Pocic took on the starting center role for 13 games in 2022, and will now continue in that capacity.
Pocic spent the first five years of his career in Seattle, where he alternated between stints as a starter and backup. This past campaign represented by far the best of his career, something which wasn’t expected given the presence of Nick Harris, the presumed 2022 starter. The latter was sidelined for the season in August, putting Pocic in line to take on a first-team role.
The 27-year-old performed admirably when on the field, earning a career-high PFF grade of 79. That marked a substantial improvement from his Seahawks days, leading to Pocic unsurprisingly making his intentions clear of staying in Cleveland for years to come. With this deal in place, he will be able to do so, and without drawing the attention of several center-needy teams, as was reported to be a strong possibility over the weekend.
The Browns have one of the top o-lines in the league at both tackle and guard positions, so Pocic’s impressive performance could be a reflection of the quality of players around him. In any case, he will be counted on to repeat his impressive level of play in 2023 and beyond, as the Browns look to keep their strong rushing attack in place through consistent performances up front.