Why Grey Zabel Can Breakout for Seahawks in Year 2

Seattle Seahawks offensive lineman Grey Zabel is going into his second NFL season far more prepared than he was a year ago.

Zabel had arguably the most successful rookie season any football player can have by winning the Super Bowl with the Seahawks. Zabel was a massive upgrade for the Seahawks at left guard, but there is still a lot of room for improvement from the former first-round pick out of North Dakota State. Zabel believes he can only get better from here on out.

"I'm not just absolutely swimming, trying to keep my head above water like I was last year," Zabel told reporters.

"I just kind of understand the tempo, the pace, the practice a little bit better. Then you get a feel for how fast the NFL moves and what to expect. So this year, it's not about staying alive or keeping your head above water, it's kind of the excelling part of getting better, continuing to work on your craft, and hone in as you're going against some of the best D-linemen and defense in the entire league."

Why Zabel Will Improve for Seahawks in Year 2

Seattle Seahawks guard Grey Zabel during the first training camp | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Zabel is poised to get better in his second season now that the pace of the game is slowing down for him. On top of that, he will be matching up with arguably the best defensive line in the league throughout all of training camp. That won't make every matchup a breeze for him, but it will at least ensure that he is prepared and ready to go for Sundays in the fall.

Zabel has been vigilant on the film he built in his rookie season and is working with the coaching staff on finding ways to improve.

"You look back at the rookie tape and really take a deep dive," Zabel told reporters. "For the good stuff you did do, there's a lot of really bad stuff that you've got to clean up and learn from and continue to grow and get better.

"The coolest part is you just continue to show up day after day and put in good work and play football. We have good enough coaches here on staff that it allows you to grow and get better and continue to hone in. That's just a testament to the staff that we have and the operations that we have out here in Seattle."

Despite winning the Super Bowl, the offensive line can still be viewed as Seattle's biggest weakness. Part of that has to do with every other position group being so strong, but the offensive line's growth will likely determine how far the team can go in the upcoming season.

Last year's unit finished in the middle of the pack compared to the rest of the league, so they will need to keep grinding to improve if they want to keep the Seahawks in the Super Bowl conversation. That all starts with Zabel.

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