Seahawks ‘Most Fretted-Over’ Issue in Question After Draft

Seattle Seahawks fans won’t want to see a repeat of what happened to new quarterback Sam Darnold the last time he took the field though it was in a different uniform.

Darnold took nine sacks against the Seahawks’ division rival Los Angeles Rams during a Wild Card game loss when he played for the Minnesota Vikings. Despite the $100.5 million investment in Darnold by Seattle, the team may not have invested enough in protecting him as ESPN Seahawks insider Brady Henderson points out.

“The most fretted-over position group among Seahawks fans received the upgrade it needed when GM John Schneider took guard Grey Zabel with the No. 18 pick. Seattle added another guard (Bryce Cabeldue) in the sixth round and a tackle (Mason Richman) in the seventh,” Henderson wrote. “Zabel looks like a potential difference-maker, but he’s the only one the Seahawks have added to what was a questionable interior.”

“Barring the addition of a veteran cap casualty, they’re prepared to let their in-house options battle it out at center and the other guard spot with the hope that new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s scheme can help the entire line in ways that previous OC Ryan Grubb’s did not,” Henderson added.

What Grey Zabel Brings to the Seahawks

GettyGrey Zabel could be an instant starter for the Seahawks.

Zabel played for FCS powerhouse North Dakota State where the 6-foot-6, 312-pound offensive tackle won two national titles amid 62 games played.

“I like how he finishes the blocks, then finding his targets down the field in space,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald told reporters on April 24. “He’s a really great athlete, how he moves. It’s easy to overlook pass protection when you talk wide zone all the time.”

“You can argue that’s really where it starts in the evaluation process. Hard to find a rep that he had a hard time winning down in Mobile (at the Senior Bowl). He took a lot of them,” Macdonald added.

Grey Zabel Made Draft Call for Mason Richman

The Seahawks put Zabel to work quickly on the third day of the draft when he called Richman on behalf of the team. Seattle had flown in Zabel after the first-round selection, and the timing worked out on April 26.

“I met him. We were talkin’. We were dappin’ it up or whatever. And I was like, ‘We’re picking in like 2 minutes,’” Seahawks general manager John Schneider told reporters on April 26. “He basically was there and I was like, ‘that’d be kinda cool if we (did). The Rams did it last year, with Jared Verse.”

Richman later admitted he thought it was a prank call. It didn’t hurt that the number was a Washington state one at least.

“I pick up any number in this process,” Richman told reporters on April 26. “This was, like, this deep voice…’This is Grey Zabel. I’m here to tell you I’m excited that you are a Seahawk.'”

“I didn’t know if they were signing me (as an undrafted free agent), or something,” Richman added. “He goes, ‘We’re going to pick you 234.’ I was like, ‘OK. I’ll watch for it.’”

Schneider found it humorous that Richman believed Zabel made a prank call at first.

“Oh, he did?” Schneider said. “That’s funny.”