Do you honestly think that is inevitable? May I have a look at your crystal ball? You can look into his history where the dude was piss drunk at a party sporting a hat in favor of his murderous friend. Not good for PR and his image, but they can do far worse. The potential reward without a doubt outweighs the risk of keeping him on the roster.
His drug dealing and state subpoena weigh far more heavily on me then a hat. Not to mention his(while less damning but still concerning) intricate involvement in whatever borderline shaddy situations members of this franchise find themselves in.
Whats the difference between having the best center in the league and the 15th best in the league? Not much, which is why teams rarely use 1st round picks on centers.
...oh wait, sorry, i forgot what forum im on. Where lineman are the most important position in major sports and we have to use 5 first round picks to secure it. Well, make that 6, because we then have to start replacing the ones we let walk after their rookie deals are up('sup Long). Then 7...then 8...etc, etc, etc.
By the way, heres the crystal ball:
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
POLICY AND PROGRAM
FOR SUBSTANCES OF ABUSE
http://images.nflplayers.com/mediaResources/files/PDFs/PlayerDevelopment/2010 Drug Policy.pdf
Now how about you return the favor and show me the image in your crystal ball. You know, the one that shows Mike Pouncey suddenly learn from his mistakes and become a part time pastor.
Theres always a cloud hanging over Pouncey. We get news every few months of something ridiculous going on with him. Its gotten past the point of "a kid just having fun" to the point of "hey, theres a bunch of smoke...is there a fire in his room?". Im not dealing with it for a damn center. Contrary to this forums myths, finding competent interior lineman isnt some lost art. This isnt the quarterback positions. Teams dont care much about getting the best one, they gravitate towards the best value.
Which is why Jacksonville set up a relatively reasonable contract with Alex Mack instead of making an absolutely absurd deal that the Browns couldnt match(but would have subsequently destroyed the Jags reputation). If that had been a quarterback, they would have gone full out. A center just isnt worth the trouble.