Seattle Seahawks cornerback Shaquill Griffin is coming off a disappointing year in his first season as his team's top cornerback. He is trying to do what he can to ensure it does not happen again.

The Seahawks have high hopes for Griffin as an integral part of their defense. According to Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic, he understands the responsibility that comes with being a No. 1 corner:

“Last year was an average year,” Griffin said during organized team activities. “Being the No. 1 corner, I can’t have average years.”

It has been heavily implied by Griffin and the coaching staff that he got caught up into emulating former Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman.

Part of the problem last year, Griffin said, was that when he moved to left cornerback, he tried too hard to be like Richard Sherman, the guy he was replacing. As I mentioned in the previous installment of this series, that’s precisely what veteran safety Bradley McDougald cautioned his teammates against doing, and last year Griffin learned why: It often results in trying too hard at the wrong things.

“Trying too hard is a big problem,” head coach Pete Carroll said of Griffin’s 2018 season.

There is no question that the Seahawks have turned over their roster in recent years. Among their notable departures was Sherman, who long served as the team's shutdown corner. It should come as no surprise that Shaquill Griffin would do what he could to fill the void Sherman left.

It seems Shaquill Griffin has now realized that the best way of replacing Sherman is to develop into the player he is meant to be. Although he was able to establish himself as a draft steal early on, it is safe to say that expectations are now higher than ever for him.