3. Leo the leader.
The Seahawks traded for defensive lineman Leonard Williams, then later gave him a big contract extension, because he’s a dominant force on the defensive line. That much was evident last season as Williams recorded 64 tackles 11 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, 28 quarterback hits and a 92-yard pick-six on his way to the second Pro-Bowl selection of his career.
But in addition to being a great player, the Seahawks also got a great leader in Williams, which has been particularly evident in practice this week. Yesterday, Williams pulled Zabel aside to offer tips after the two went head-to-head in pass-rush drills, then a day later he could be heard loudly offering encouragement and advice to his fellow defensive linemen. Williams also played the role of peacekeeper when some pushing and shoving ensued after a heated rep between two other players, eventually wrapping up a teammate in a bearhug to walk him out of the scrum of offensive and defensive linemen.
“These guys are some of the best leaders I’ve been around,” Zabel said of the veterans on Seattle’s defensive line. “Like Leo talking to me the past few days during one on ones, helping me out, progressing my pass set, what he’s seeing, what I’m feeling, all that stuff. That’s just the type of person, player and leader that he is. That’s the culture that’s being built around here.”
Zabel admitted he was not expecting to get help during his first camp not just from veterans in his position group, but from defensive linemen as well.
“No, not at all,” he said. “And kudos to the vets on this team for doing that, because I found out that’s not normal around the league, so that’s just a testament to what coach is building here and the type of culture we have with the Seahawks.”
Source link
