Seattle Seahawks bet Jamal Adams is worth a huge contract

After months of intense negotiations, the Seattle Seahawks gave Jamal Adams the biggest contract in NFL history at security post. Adams is officially part of Seattle’s long-term plan although he arguably has the worst season of his career in his first season in the Pacific Northwest.

Adams was once considered the pinnacle of his position, but after 2020 it’s easy to see why so many people have removed Adams from their top 10 list. Throughout 2020, it was clear that Adams didn’t fit very well into Seattle’s defensive scheme. Adams recorded the fewest solo tackles of his career and was unusually poor in coverage. Adams authorized a catch rate of 77.8 percent, per Professional football benchmark. It is not good at all. Seahawks had to call in Detroit Lions defensive captain Quandre Diggs mid-season to fill in the holes Adams left. Adams also spent more time blitzing than ever in 2020. Although he broke the absolute safety bag record at 9.5, the number of times he has had the opportunity to attack the opposing quarterback somewhat minimizes this feat. He blitzed 98 times in 12 games. A year earlier, Adams had made just 90 blitzes in 14 games for the Jets. Adams blitzed so much that his opponents began to call him the “Blitz Boy” – a name Adams recognized.

Adams certainly didn’t have the best season in 2020, but in a sense, that was to be expected. Without a preseason to learn the new defensive patterns, Adams probably didn’t have time to learn the system very well before Game 1 of the regular season. But this is not a sure thing. Is taking the risk that with more time Adams could return to his 2019 form worth paying for the biggest security contract in NFL history? Personally, I don’t think so, and I don’t think the Seahawks thought so in the early stages of negotiation either.

If the Seahawks really thought the hike was worth the risk, why wasn’t the deal done sooner? The first counter-argument might be, “Well, they just wanted to get Adams at a discount. ” FIVE MONTHS! They negotiated for FIVE MONTHS! This means they were far from a deal at the start. The negotiations were “intense”, And Jamal Adams had to be pushed into his record-breaking contract by his mother. Yeah, Adams alone thinks he deserved more than he ended up getting.

So if the Seahawks didn’t initially believe Adams was worth the risk, why would they give in and give Adams all that money? It really is simple. They NEED Adams to train in Seattle. When the Seahawks traded for Adams in July 2020, they gave up two first-round picks and one third-round pick. That’s a lot of interim capital. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo led his 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance just two years ago, and he wouldn’t get that kind of deal. It’s a “Khalil Mack level” of draft capital that the Seahawks gave up to acquire Adams. Can you imagine if Adams does not have succeed after giving so much potential? It wouldn’t be a good look for the Seattle front office.

Add the fact that Russell Wilson was unhappy with the team’s lack of success and that he did not receive an appropriate O line for years – an issue that could have been addressed with the draft picks Seattle gave up for Adams – as well as the idea that the team’s Super Bowl window closes as NFC West continues to improve and Wilson is getting old, and you’ve got yourself a real mess if Adams continues to wrestle like he did in 2020.

The Seahawks know what Adams is capable of, so allowing him to continue his resistance has never really been an option for the Seahawks front office. However, I can almost guarantee that Paul Allen, Jody Allen, John Schneider and company are biting their fingernails praying that Adams learns about the Seahawks’ defensive system. Otherwise, this signing could turn out to be one of the worst in franchise history.

We all know Adams has the tools to be one of the best securities in the league. Yes, I know he only has two interceptions under his belt in his first three years in the league, but Adams isn’t helping a high school by coming up with picks. It’s not a bullet hawk. He’s a disruptor. He can step up and stop the race. He can enter midfield and take a read from the opposing quarterback. He might not have the best ball skills, but he doesn’t need them to be effective. With a few weeks of training camp under his belt, I have no doubt that Adams can figure out the Seattle system and return to his 2019 All-Pro form. For Seattle’s sake, they better hope he finds out. also.