The Seattle Seahawks undeniably upgraded their offense by pulling off a blockbuster trade for All Pro guard Quenton Nelson. It came with one complication, however. Because Nelson has played left guard throughout his entire career, sophomore Grey Zabel was tasked with moving to the right side.
With Nelson making his Seahawks debut against the Chicago Bears in Week 8, Zabel played his first game at right guard. It went terribly. The matchup certainly dictated the outcome, but the result indicates Zabel may regress while adjusting to a new position.
It's worth noting the Bears traded for superstar defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons right around the time the Seahawks acquired Nelson. Simmons also made his debut on Monday Night Football. With his alignment
being matchup-specific, the Bears avoided Nelson by pitting him against Zabel.
Simmons destroyed Zabel. Pro Football Focus credited Zabel with allowing three pressures and one sack. Those numbers don't sound awful on the surface, but they also tagged him with a career-low 13.2 grade in pass protection.
Simmons applied pressure on Sam Darnold all evening long. The matchup was extremely difficult, but it's probably safe to assume Zabel's position change played a role in the result. Acquiring Nelson was awesome, but the Seahawks need Zabel to overcome this position change quickly.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks RG Grey Zabel struggled badly in first game at new position
