Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald has often discussed his vision of creating a style of football that no opponent wants to play.
Analyst: Quenton Nelson to Seahawks is ‘more important’ than Rams’ offseason moves
The reigning Super Bowl champions have certainly accomplished that on defense.
With their blockbuster trade for three-time All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson earlier this week, they took a major step toward replicating that on the offensive end.
“When Quenton Nelson’s plane landed, the temperature changed in the locker room,” Seahawks Radio Network analyst and former NFL offensive lineman Ray Roberts told Wyman and Bob of Seattle Sports. “This guy is changing the climate – the way he plays, the way he approaches it, the success he’s had. So now you have a guy who plays like defense on offense.
“Quenton Nelson is a pit bull,” Roberts added. “When he ties it up, he tries to put you back in the mud 24/7.”
Widely considered one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL, the 6-foot-5, 330-pound Nelson has been a professional player in the eight seasons since the Indianapolis Colts drafted him No. 6 overall in 2018.
And at 30, Nelson is still in his prime. Since the start of 2025, he has allowed just one sack in 912 pass blocks, according to Pro Football Focus. This season, he ranks third among guards in PFF passing block rankings and seventh in PFF running block rankings.
Roberts believes Nelson’s success and pedigree will be invaluable to the Seahawks’ young offensive line. Besides Nelson, the other four starters are left tackle Charles Cross (25), center Jalen Sundell (27), right guard Gray Zabel (24) and right tackle Abraham Lucas (28).
“It gives you a North Star, that’s how you do it,” Roberts said. “You have a group of young guys on the offensive line who have had varying levels of success, but none of them have been able to do it sustainably (like Nelson).
“This guy walks in the room and I don’t care how you did it, you’re going to say, I’m going to do it the way he does it,” he added. “It’s a really cool thing to have someone in the room who’s been there and has been doing it at a high level for a long time.”
Listen to Wyman and Bob’s full conversation with Ray Roberts at this link or in the audio near the middle of this story. Tune in to Wyman and Bob weekdays from 2-7 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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