Tag: J.C. Tretter

Former Browns C J.C. Tretter’s reign as NFLPA president has come to an end

The retired center is passed on the baton.

After being elected as the NFLPA president in March of 2020, former Cleveland Browns center J.C. Tretter has finally seen his tenure come to a close.

Electing a new president today, Detroit Lions linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin will take the torch passed on by Tretter. Reeves-Maybin was a member of the NFLPA Executive Committee over the last two years under Tretter.

Tretter, of course, has not played football since the 2022 season. After that season, the Browns released him as he would go on to retire after visiting with the Minnesota Vikings and other teams. Tretter released a statement saying that his status as the NFLPA president played into the type of interest he received once he hit free agency.

Now fully retired and away from the sport of football, the Cornell grad will surely find another hobby to pick up in his retirement.

ESPN says Seahawks should try to re-sign former C Ethan Pocic

ESPN certainly has an interesting idea for who Seattle should target when the new league year begins next week.

The Seahawks have a clear need at center, even before starter Austin Blythe announced his retirement from the NFL last week. The 2023 draft class is probably the best place to find his long-term replacement, but there are some interesting free agents to consider, as well. ESPN certainly has an interesting idea for who Seattle should target when the new league year begins next week.

In a guest post from Aaron Schatz at Football Outsiders, former center Ethan Pocic is named as the one player that the Seahawks should be after.

“The Seahawks’ biggest need in free agency is a center to replace the departing Austin Blythe and Kyle Fuller. So how about a homecoming from a prodigal son? Pocic was originally a second-round Seattle draft pick in 2017, but struggled with injuries. He left in free agency last year, signed a one-year deal with Cleveland and had a breakout season: fourth in RBWR and fifth in PBWR among centers.”

Experience and leadership are aruably more important at center than anywhere else, so signing a veteran makes some sense. Also, it is true that Pocic did play far better this season than he had during his time in Seattle.

That said, this is a head-scratcher from where we’re sitting. If they’re going to sign a veteran center there are several much better options that are about to hit the market, including J.C. Tretter and Garrett Bradbury.

That said, we’d really like to see them draft their next franchise center – especially after seeing the last one they passed on in the draft – Creed Humphrey – become the league’s best. Good news: they met with Minnesota’s John Michael Schmitz at the combine, so we know they have their eye on that spot in the draft. Schmitz is ranked No. 1 at his position in this class.

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2023 NFL free agency: Ranking 6 offensive line options for the Seahawks

As it happens they all play center, or at least have some experience doing so. 

In 2022 the Seahawks offensive line was weakest on the interior, where starting center Austin Blythe struggled more often than not. Finding an upgrade with either a better vet or a highly-ranked rookie to lead this unit should be a priority this offseason.

Let’s start with the free agent options. Here are six potential offensive line targets for Seattle this year. As it happens they all play center, or at least have some experience doing so.

The 10 best NFL free agents still available this preseason, from Odell Beckham Jr. to J.C. Tretter

There are a bunch of solid veterans left for some lucky teams to scoop up.

This time of year, with training camps around the NFL in full swing, most rosters are more or less set in stone.

Sure, there might be the occasional camp controversy, positional battle to sort through, or warranted holdout (or “hold-in”). But, for the most part, teams know what kind of shape they’ll enter the 2022 season in.

Now, that said, no one has a perfect roster. In fact, many squads might still have a glaring hole or two that they can fill with a capable veteran. (Ask the Buccaneers and Julio Jones.) The initial wave and frenzy of this year’s NFL free agency is worlds, er, months away now. But plenty of good and capable players remain on the market, especially if any squad wants to fill in the gaps and start this fall on a better foot.

Here are the 10 best free agents still available as the NFL moves toward the 2022 preseason:

Why J.C. Tretter might be on the next flight to Tampa Bay

With the fear that Ryan Jensen has suffered a severe knee injury, free agent center J.C. Tretter might be on the next plane to Tampa Bay.

Football is a brutal business.

While fans of the game rejoiced this week as training camps opened around the league for the 2022 campaign, the brutality of the sport hit us all in the face Thursday morning. News broke out of  Tampa Bay that Buccaneers center Ryan Jensen went down with an apparent leg injury, and needed to be carted off the field.

Reports out of Tampa Bay Thursday night were anything but optimistic, as it seemed the Buccaneers were bracing for the worst:

Friday morning brought word that the team fears a season-ending knee injury for Jensen:

Thankfully, as noted there might be the perfect option available: Current free agent J.C. Tretter.

Despite his status as one of the game’s top centers, Tretter was released by the Cleveland Browns this off-season, saving the organization over $8 million in cap space. With Tretter available, he might be the answer to Tampa Bay’s prayers.

Here is why.

The Buccaneers can replace Ryan Jensen with these free agent centers

With center Ryan Jensen’s knee injury, here are the free-agent replacements best suited to help Tom Brady with protections.

Obviously, player injuries are never good. But injuries to key players on a team at the start of training camp? That’s a real ouch. This happened to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday, when center Ryan Jensen went down with a knee injury during practice. All indications point so a severe injury, sadly, which leaved the Bucs in a real jam as they prepare for the 2022 season. Backup Robert Hainsey took over for Jensen to get through practice, and perhaps Hainsey — a 2021 third-round pick from Notre Dame — can step in for the long term, however long that term may be.

However, Hainsey was a right tackle for the fighting Irish, so he’s relatively new to the position. That might be suboptimal when you’re dealing with the best defensive disruptors in the world, and your quarterback (that Tom Brady guy) has always struggled against pressure right up the middle. Keep in mind that after Ali Marpet’s retirement and the Bengals stealing Alex Cappa in free agency, the Bucs will be breaking in two new guards. Tampa Bay traded for Shaquille Mason, Brady’s former Patriots teammate, and that’s a great deal for Brady and the Bucs. We ranked Mason as the NFL’s sixth-best offensive guard this year, so right guard should be sewn up. Left guard seems to be a battle between former reserve Aaron Stinnie and rookie Luke Goedeke.

Still, replacing Jensen will be tough. Not only has Jensen been the ideal power center for the Bucs’ run game, he’s also pressure-proof. Last season, Jensen allowed just four sacks, five quarterback hits, and 18 quarterback hurries on 886 pass-blocking reps. To earn Brady’s trust as a shot-caller with protections at such a high snap volume is no mean feat.

Still, this is where the Buccaneers are right now. Here are the most obvious possible replacements for Jensen should the news be at its most unfortunate.

The NFL’s top 12 centers

Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield continues our position lists with the NFL’s 12 best centers.

It starts with the snap.

In both my writing and my coaching, I try and impress upon those around me just how odd you have to be to play the quarterback position. You need to be a little…different. Convinced in your belief that you and you alone can be the only player tasked with making a decision with the football on a given play.

And yet, that is not exactly the truth.

After all, it starts with the snap.

Centers in the NFL today have a lot on their plate. They are tasked with helping to set protections and blocking schemes up front. They are tasked sometimes with identifying blitzes and making sure the offensive line is all on the same page. Then they have to make sure the quarterback gets the ball cleanly — otherwise people like me are going to point fingers when the ball hits the turf — all while the Aaron Donalds of the world are trying to drive them backwards.

It is not easy.

Here are the best centers in the game heading into the 2022 NFL season, along with the rest of our positional lists, leading up to the top 101 players in the NFL today.

The NFL’s top 13 safeties

The NFL’s top 12 slot defenders

The NFL’s top 12 outside cornerbacks

The NFL’s top 11 linebackers

The NFL’s top 11 edge defenders

The NFL’s top 12 interior defensive linemen

The NFL’s top 12 centers

Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield continues our position lists with the best centers in the NFL today.

It starts with the snap.

In both my writing and my coaching, I try and impress upon those around me just how odd you have to be to play the quarterback position. You need to be a little…different. Convinced in your belief that you and you alone can be the only player tasked with making a decision with the football on a given play.

And yet, that is not exactly the truth.

After all, it starts with the snap.

Centers in the NFL today have a lot on their plate. They are tasked with helping to set protections and blocking schemes up front. They are tasked sometimes with identifying blitzes and making sure the offensive line is all on the same page. Then they have to make sure the quarterback gets the ball cleanly — otherwise people like me are going to point fingers when the ball hits the turf — all while the Aaron Donalds of the world are trying to drive them backwards.

It is not easy.

Here are the best centers in the game heading into the 2022 NFL season, along with the rest of our positional lists, leading up to the top 101 players in the NFL today.

The NFL’s top 13 safeties

The NFL’s top 12 slot defenders

The NFL’s top 12 outside cornerbacks

The NFL’s top 11 linebackers

The NFL’s top 11 edge defenders

The NFL’s top 12 interior defensive linemen

7 players that could make sense for Cardinals to sign before training camp

The Cardinals could use help at cornerback, center, nose tackle and outside linebacker. These veterans would make sense for the Cardinals.

The Arizona Cardinals will open training camp in about three weeks and could make some roster moves before then. General manager Steve Keim is well known for his late veteran additions.

Here are a few moves the Cardinals could make in veteran free agent additions that would make a lot of sense.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Seahawks: Ranking 11 free agents to target after the 2022 NFL draft

Here are 11 of the top veterans still on the market who should interest Seattle.

As rookie minicamp kicks off, the Seahawks don’t have much salary cap space left for the 2022 season. However, they could create a bit more with a few roster cuts, including running back Chris Carson. That would save them about $4.6 million if it’s a post-June 1 designation.

That might give Seattle enough cash to make one last impact free agent signing this spring. Here are 11 of the top veterans still on the market who should interest them.

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