Seattle Seahawks must extend Jamal Adams now
When the Seattle Seahawks traded for Jamal Adams last year, a new contract for the perennial All-Pro seemed like a forgone conclusion. Almost 16 months later, a deal still isn’t done.
With just a little over a month to go until the Seattle Seahawks 2021 season opener, Jamal Adams still doesn’t have his long-awaited contract extension. Locking up the perennial All-Pro safety should be GM John Schneider‘s top priority. Meanwhile, Adams sits out of team practices.
According to Peter King of NBC Sports, the two sides are at a bit of a stalemate. During Monday’s “Football Morning in America,” King said, “I hear the Seahawks have stretched themselves quite a bit for Adams, but he’s still not happy with the offer, and if you know Seattle’s negotiating stance, it’s not likely the offer’s going to change much now.“
With all due respect to the Seattle Seahawks front office, it had better change. Adams needs to be on the field and game-ready when the season begins.
What Adams brings to the table
It’s not a stretch to say that Adams is one of the best, if not the best, safety in the NFL. A couple of nasty injuries limited him to just 12 games in his first Emerald City season. He still had 83 tackles, 9.5 sacks and received a Pro Bowl selection. That’s outstanding production. Imagine what kind of numbers Adams might have put up if he didn’t get hurt.
His talent is undeniable and is trending toward generational. Adams has the ability to read offenses and react to changing situations that are well beyond his experience level. The Seahawks have a very good defense coming into 2021, but there are a few holes.
Replacing departed outside linebacker K.J. Wright is a difficult task. Seattle is now very thin at that position. They need Adams (who often plays a similar type of game) to pick up the slack. Additionally, there are question marks at cornerback. The Seahawks will rely on Adams to call out coverages, defend from sideline to sideline, and come to the line to stop the run even more than they did last year.
Maybe even more important than what Adams does for the Seattle Seahawks this year is what he can do for them in the next four-to-six years. For all his greatness, defensive leader Bobby Wagner is 31-years-old. A sure-fire Hall-of-Famer, Wagner is heading toward the downside of a spectacular career.
Adams is his heir apparent. At only 25, his leadership skills and positive locker room presence are outstanding and will only grow over time. He will lead the next group of Seahawks through the mid-2020s.
It takes two
In the overall scheme of NFL football, safety isn’t the sexiest position to overpay a player. The Seahawks have already invested a pair of first-round picks in him. Adams’ talent, leadership, and potential to become an all-time great make him a must sign.
In the end, both Adams and the Seattle Seahawks will have to make some sacrifices. Neither side will be ecstatic about this contract, which means whatever the deal is, it should be fair.
"HELL YEAH! … I'm sorry, I'm not used to this guys!"
Jamal Adams reacts to making the playoffs for the first time in his career 👏 @Prez
(via @Seahawks)pic.twitter.com/02kW11UwXC
— ESPN (@espn) December 20, 2020
What do you think about the stalemate between the Seattle Seahawks and Jamal Adams on a new contact? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.