It only services great NFL teams to make additional moves after winning a Super Bowl to maintain their strength for future runs, and that’s exactly what the defending champion Seattle Seahawks did by trading for superstar guard Quenton Nelson on Tuesday, as he possesses the talent to help the team initiate a full-scale turnaround this season and make another Super Bowl run.
Nelson has earned six All-Pro selections during his career. He also helped the Indianapolis Colts reach the playoffs twice in nine seasons spent with the team, and brings extensive experience and a proven track record to a Seahawks team looking to remain among the NFL’s elite this season despite an up-and-down start to the year. He has the talent to provide the team with the dominant protection needed to keep their championship window open.
Nelson’s pass protection remains a significant part of his appeal. Through seven games played this season, he has yet to allow a sack, and has permitted six quarterback pressures and one quarterback hit on the year, numbers that highlight the potential value that he will have in protecting Seahawks QB Sam Darnold.
The Seahawks’ offensive line was stout last season, helping establish a foundation for their championship success, but it was not without lapses. Sam Darnold was sensational when given sufficient protection, yet pressure affected his timing and effectiveness, exposing an area that Seattle has needed to improve, particularly on the right side of the line in the interior.
Nelson’s arrival figures to make the Seahawks stronger, while it also creates additional lineup flexibility. Seattle now has the prerogative to move Grey Zabel to right guard and gradually phase out Anthony Bradford, whose struggles have persisted since last season. Adding Nelson gives Seattle the stability needed to pursue another Lombardi Trophy in more ways than one and will be a major variable in the team’s equation moving forward.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Quenton Nelson could be the piece to get Seahawks back to the Super Bowl