Jamal Adams - Pro Football Rumors

Seahawks’ Jamal Adams Deal Imminent?

June 18th, 2021 at 9:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jamal Adams minicamp holdout has not produced reports of acrimony between he and the Seahawks. The Seahawks excused Adams’ absence from minicamp, and Pete Carroll described his extension talks as amicable.

An agreement may be on the immediate horizon. All signs are pointing to an extension being finalized around the start of training camp, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Adams is going into a contract year; he is set to earn $9.86MM on the fifth-year option.

Given what Seattle traded to acquire Adams — 2021 and ’22 first-round picks, a ’21 third and safety Bradley McDougald — it can be easily assumed the impending extension will make him the NFL’s highest-paid safety. Justin Simmons currently holds that distinction, after signing a four-year Broncos deal worth $61MM. Adams will surely try to move the price north by a notable margin.

The Seahawks have authorized top-market extensions before, giving Russell Wilson a then-NFL-record $35MM-per-year deal in April 2019 and extending Bobby Wagner at the current off-ball linebacker high-water mark ($18MM AAV). They appear poised to include Adams in this blueprint. Wagner signed his current deal around the start of Seattle’s 2019 training camp and agreed to his 2015 extension in early August of that year. Wilson’s first extension (in 2015) occurred days before Wagner’s.

The Seahawks also might create a bit more cap space ahead of an Adams deal, with Carroll also signaling the team’s interest in keeping Pro Bowl left tackle Duane Brown beyond his 2021 contract year.

Adams thrives as a box safety and set a position record with 9.5 sacks last season. This unique skill set, while leaving some coverage skills to be desired, figures to factor into the 25-year-old defender’s negotiations. The former Jets top-10 pick began extension discussions way back in January 2020, when he was still a Jet, but talks paused and the Jets traded him to Seattle. The Seahawks communicated to Adams a preference he play on his rookie deal last season. Adams did so and made his third straight Pro Bowl. His second NFL team looks set to reward him.

Seahawks Confident On Jamal Adams Deal

June 15th, 2021 at 9:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Angling for a new contract for the second straight offseason, Jamal Adams is staying away from Seahawks minicamp. But the team has excused Adams’ absence, stopping any fines from piling up.

Pete Carroll confirmed Adams contract talks have begun, but ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson reports these negotiations have not produced much movement yet. The team nevertheless remains confident a deal will be finalized.

“It’s been ongoing and it’s been amicable throughout,” Carroll said of the Adams extension talks. “We recognize that he’s a fantastic football player and we’re in the midst of, it’s a big contract process. But I know he knows he’s been treated with a lot of respect and he’s been very respectful towards the club as well. They’ve been good talks. It just hasn’t been able to get settled at this point, but it’s coming.”

Carroll stopped short of saying he expects an extension to be completed by the start of training camp, but after the Seahawks traded two first-round picks for Adams, it is fairly clear they view him as a part of their future. Carroll expects Adams to show for training camp. The 2020 CBA made holdouts more difficult to wage, so Adams will face significant financial penalties were he to remain away from the team during training camp.

The Seahawks informed Adams they did not intend to complete an extension last year, with Henderson adding the uncertainty regarding the 2021 salary cap factored into the former top-10 pick playing out the fourth year of his rookie deal (at $3.59MM) last season. Now tied to the fifth-year option, Adams is set to earn $9.86MM this season.

Broncos star Justin Simmons stands as the league’s highest-paid safety at $15.25MM per year, setting that new high-water mark earlier this year. Meanwhile, Landon Collins leads all safeties in full guarantees at $44.5MM. Despite Adams doing his best work in the box, he is a three-time Pro Bowler who is one of the best at his position. It will likely take a new safety-record deal for the Seahawks to lock in the 25-year-old standout long-term, given his lengthy quest for a second contract. Should the Seahawks fail to hammer out an agreement with Adams this year, they will have the franchise tag at their disposal come March.

Seahawks Excuse Jamal Adams’ Absence

June 15th, 2021 at 11:58am CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks have excused safety Jamal Adams from this week’s mandatory minicamp for personal reasons, a source tells Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Initially, his absence was believed to be contract-related, but that’s not quite the case.

As a result, Adams will not be fined ~$290K for skipping the three-day minicamp. Still, the two sides still have some contract matters to hash out. Adams is currently playing on his fifth-year option, which means $9.86MM for the 2021 season. Meanwhile, he wants a new multi-year contract to position him as the highest-paid safety in the NFL.

That’s been Adams’ stance for several years, dating back to his time with the Jets. Desperate to get away from Gang Green, Adams agreed to table talks until a later date. With one year to go at a below-market rate, the future is now. But, on the plus side, Adams’ non-participation does not seem to be the start of a holdout.

The advanced metrics knocked Adams for his coverage and run D last year, but he was still a force with 9.5 sacks in just 12 games. The multiple-time Pro Bowler — 26 in October — was rock solid before last year’s injury-filled season. Between 2018 and 2019, only Vikings standout Anthony Harris graded out higher than Adams at safety, according to Pro Football Focus. Eddie Jackson (Bears) was No. 3 on the list, and he currently stands as one of the league’s top-paid safeties.

Jamal Adams Skipping Seahawks’ Minicamp

June 15th, 2021 at 10:51am CST by Zachary Links

Jamal Adams is holding out. The Seahawks safety will not participate this week’s mandatory minicamp (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter).

The Seahawks acquired Adams and a fourth-rounder from the Jets last year for a 2021 first-round pick, a 2021 third-round pick, a 2022 first-rounder, and safety Bradley McDougald. Adams, of course, was embroiled in a longstanding contract dispute with the Jets. But, upon arrival in Seattle, he agreed to play on his existing deal, which meant a salary of just $3.59MM last year. Right now, he’s on course to make $9.86MM for 2021, thanks to his fifth-year option.

Broncos star Justin Simmons stands as the league’s highest-paid safety at $15.25MM per year. Meanwhile, Landon Collins leads the position in full guarantees at $44.5MM. Adams is definitely looking to top Simmons’ AAV, and his camp may also be pushing for a new watermark in guarantees.

Adams suffered a torn labrum and a groin injury last year, but he still showed his mettle as a dangerous playmaker. In 2020, Adams’ 9.5 sacks set a new single-season record for defensive backs — he did it in just 12 games. For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics had him as a middle-of-the-pack cover man and run defender.

By skipping minicamp, Adams will be subject to fines of ~$93K per day. That’s alright by the All-Pro safety, who is hoping to send a serious message to Seattle.

Seahawks Notes: Wilson, Carroll, Dunlap

February 28th, 2021 at 12:24pm CST by Rory Parks

One of the reasons for the trade rumors swirling around Seahawks QB Russell Wilson — and perhaps the primary reason — is Wilson’s relationship with head coach Pete Carroll, which appears to be strained. Apparently, his relationship with Carroll’s sons hasn’t been much better.

According to a tweet from The Athletic, Wilson believes Carroll and his sons, Nolan and Brennan, answer to no one (Nolan serves as the team’s WRs coach, and Brennan had been working as the run game coordinator before accepting a position at the University of Arizona). And, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, Wilson is 100% correct.

Former owner Paul Allen “stayed deep in the background” when he was alive, and his sister, Jody Allen, has largely done the same since she inherited the team. Some league sources believe the Seahawks are essentially run by the Allens’ parent company, Vulcan Inc., which in turn defers to the head coach as the club’s de facto CEO. So while Jody Allen could intervene in light of the Wilson trade rumblings, her track record suggests that she will not do so, and that Pete Carroll will ultimately be the one to decide whether to deal Wilson.

While Wilson himself has said he does not expect to be dealt, Florio believes the 32-year-old will ultimately request a trade either this year or next. If QB and HC do not mend fences soon, it’s easy to envision such a scenario.

Now for more from the Emerald City:

Unlike Florio, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com does not believe Wilson will be traded. One of the reasons for that is the fact that — as our Sam Robinson wrote several days ago in the piece linked above — a trade will leave $39MM in dead money on the Seahawks’ cap. While a post-June 1 trade will allow the team to spread out that hit and actually create $19MM in 2021 space, Seattle is lacking a first-rounder and third-rounder this season, so a Wilson trade might be more beneficial if it happened prior to this year’s draft and not after June 1.
Still, Henderson believes the ‘Hawks will make a trade that both sheds some salary — the team has less than $8MM of cap space relative to the $180MM floor — and adds some much-needed draft capital. There is no indication as of yet that Seattle will look to trade players like Carlos Dunlap, Bobby Wagner, or Jamal Adams, but Henderson could see it happening.
As of now, though, Henderson predicts that the club will cut Dunlap and look to re-sign him to a less expensive contract — the former Bengal is due to carry a $14.1MM cap hit in 2021 — while restructuring the contract of franchise icon Wagner and extending 2020 trade acquisition Adams.
Proven performance escalators for several 2018 draftees have played a role in Seattle’s cap crunch. Since he earned a Pro Bowl nod in his rookie season, punter Michael Dickson has a $3.384MM salary for 2021 — the amount of the second-round RFA tender — while cornerback Tre Flowers is due to earn $2.183MM since he met the snap count requirement for the Level One PPE (Twitter link via Henderson). If you need a refresher, OverTheCap.com offers a comprehensive explanation of PPEs.
Presently, the Seahawks’ highest draft choice is their second-rounder (No. 56 overall). Given the state of the club’s offensive line, and Wilson’s recent comments in that regard, most mocks have Seattle selecting an OL with that pick, as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times observes. Ohio State guard Wyatt Davis and Tennessee guard Trey Smith would be worthy Day 2 selections.

Jamal Adams Will Require Offseason Surgery

January 10th, 2021 at 9:34am CST by Rory Parks

The Seahawks suffered an early playoff exit at the hands of the division-rival Rams yesterday, and they enter the offseason with plenty of items on their to-do list. One of those items is a new contract for safety Jamal Adams, who revealed after the game that he will require at least two surgeries in short order (via Bob Condotta and Adam Jude of the Seattle Times).

Adams suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder during Seattle’s regular season finale against the 49ers last week, but he played through the pain yesterday so that he could experience his first taste of postseason action. He said he will also need surgery to repair injuries to fingers on his left hand, and his right shoulder — which he injured back in November — might need medical attention as well.

The star defender also missed four games earlier this year due to a groin injury, but he still showed his mettle as a dangerous playmaker. The 9.5 sacks he posted in just 12 games is the highest single-season total in league history for a defensive back, and despite the injuries, he was flying all over the field yesterday, recording four tackles and three passes defensed.

On the other hand, questions about his abilities in coverage have persisted throughout the first few years of his career, and Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics indicated that only his pass rush skills were elite this year. His run defense and coverage grades were middle-of-the-pack.

That reality and his injuries may well factor into contract negotiations this offseason. Though Adams was demanding a lucrative extension from the Jets, he was perfectly content to play out the fourth year of his rookie deal this year after Gang Green traded him to the ‘Hawks. He said yesterday that he loves being a part of the Seattle organization but that he is more focused on getting healthy at the moment. With respect to his contract situation, he said, “[t]hat’s something that is out of my hands right now.”

The top of the safety market features an average annual value of $14.75MM and full guarantees of $31MM. But Adams might not just be looking to beat those numbers, he might be looking to shatter them. The Seahawks did give up two first-round draft picks to acquire him, and it seems likely that the two sides will be able to come to terms, but contract talks may have a few tricky moments.

Currently, Adams is under club control through 2021 by virtue of the fifth-year option of his rookie contract.

Seahawks Promote S Damarious Randall

October 3rd, 2020 at 3:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

As could be expected given the circumstances, the Seahawks are promoting Damarious Randall from their practice squad.

The Seahawks signed the former first-round pick earlier this week. Randall will likely play a key role Sunday against the Dolphins. Neither Jamal Adams nor Quinton Dunbar practiced this week. Both are out for Seattle’s Week 4 contest.

Randall could not make the Raiders’ 53-man roster this year, after signing a one-year deal, but brings 65 games’ and 56 starts’ worth of experience to the Seahawks’ depleted secondary. After being used at cornerback for three season in Green Bay, Randall started 26 games at safety with Cleveland over the past two seasons.

Seattle will also elevate linebacker Shaquem Griffin and cornerback Gavin Heslop from its practice squad. Beginning his season on the Seahawks’ practice squad, Griffin played in Seattle’s shootout win over Dallas last weekend. The third-year linebacker was active for each of the Seahawks’ 32 regular-season games from 2018-19.

NFC West Notes: Adams, Gordon, 49ers

August 4th, 2020 at 5:08pm CST by Rory Parks

New Seahawks safety Jamal Adams has told the team that he is content to play out the 2020 season on his current contract, which is one of the reasons why Seattle felt comfortable sending a king’s ransom to the Jets in exchange for the star defender. And as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets, Adams says the plan is to spend his entire career with the ‘Hawks. He is confident that his contract situation will work itself out, and it seems likely that the two sides will commence negotiations after the season.

Now for more out of the NFC West:

The Seahawks are said to be interested in a reunion with WR Josh Gordon, and apparently the interest is mutual. Gordon recently posted a picture of the Seattle skyline to social media, saying, “Ima [j]uss leave this here and be quiet” (h/t Field Yates of ESPN.com on Twitter). The club is also monitoring Antonio Brown.
The Ravens and Patriots are reportedly interested in TE Delanie Walker, and Matt Barrows of The Athletic thinks the 49ers — who drafted Walker in 2006 and employed him through 2012 — would also be a great fit. However, Barrows has not heard anything on that front lately.
In the same piece linked above, Barrows says there is a good chance the 49ers use their first-round pick in 2021 on a CB and that the team could also invest some free agent dollars into the position. That could mean re-signing Richard Sherman or bringing in an outside FA.
The 49ers recently worked out DL Damontre Moore, per veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (via Twitter). Moore has bounced around quite a bit since he entered the league as a third-round pick of the Giants in 2013, and he appeared in two games for San Francisco last year before landing on IR.
In case you missed it, Cardinals OT Marcus Gilbert has opted out of the 2020 season.

Jets Notes: Adams, Johnson, Clowney, Long

July 28th, 2020 at 4:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Joe Douglas confirmed the Jets had trade talks with several teams regarding Jamal Adams but categorized the sweepstakes-winning Seahawks as the most aggressive suitor. The Jets and Seahawks began talking weeks ago, and Seattle’s two-first-rounders-and-change offer swayed Douglas from planning not to trade his All-Pro safety to pulling the trigger (Twitter links via SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano). Adams lobbed salvos at Douglas and Adam Gase, and when Douglas listened to offers for the decorated defender at last year’s trade deadline, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link) Adams reached out to several Cowboys players to inform them of his interest in going to Dallas. This irked Jets teammates, coaches and team brass. While Douglas said he wanted to make Adams a Jet for life earlier this year, the second-year GM said this week he never promised him a contract, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter).

Here is the latest coming out of Jets headquarters:

Although the 49ers have made some big trades under their current power structure, John Lynch said they did not call the Jets about Adams, via NBC Sports Bay Area. However, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reported (via Twitter) involved parties believed the Cowboys and 49ers were both involved in talks with the Jets for Adams. The 49ers, who joined the Cowboys on Adams’ list of preferred destinations, re-signed Jimmie Ward this offseason and have starter Jaquiski Tartt back as well.
New Jets safety Bradley McDougald said Jadeveon Clowney remains interested in a deal (Twitter link). The former No. 1 overall pick expressed Jets interest in April as well. The Jets were linked to Clowney in March but, despite an apparent need for pass-rushing help, are not believed to be interested in the three-time Pro Bowler. Adams finished as Gang Green’s second-leading sacker in 2019.
Douglas convinced Ryan Kalil to unretire and become the Jets’ starting center last season, so reports of him being in talks with recently retired guard Kyle Long earlier this year carried a bit more weight. But Douglas said those talks were merely friends catching up. Douglas spent 2015 in the Bears’ front office prior to leaving for Philadelphia. That said, Mehta notes the two indeed discussed Long unretiring. The Jets re-signed Alex Lewis and added Greg Van Roten to a guard group that includes longtime starter Brian Winters.
Amid larger headlines involving current U.S. ambassador to Great Britain Woody Johnson, the Jets owner was reported by CNN to have made racist and sexist comments during his time as an ambassador. Johnson has denied the allegations, which prompted a State Department investigation. Following the report, however, acting Jets owner Christopher Johnson called almost every player on Gang Green’s roster to listen to their concerns, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes.

Seahawks’ Jamal Adams To Play On Current Deal

July 27th, 2020 at 8:41am CST by Zachary Links

Jamal Adams agreed to play on his existing contract before the Seahawks completed their trade with the Jets, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). With that, Adams will play out the 2020 season on a modest $3.59MM salary. After that, Adams is due to make $9.86MM in 2021, per the new deal.

It’s likely that the two sides will resume talks after the season, but nothing has been promised to the Pro Bowl safety. In New York, Adams was adamant about getting a new deal that would position him as the league’s highest-paid safety and even stepped up his demands to the $20MM neighborhood. Reportedly, Adams was willing to sign a slightly cheaper extension with one of his preferred teams, a list that included the Seahawks. Still, that means a deal in excess of $15MM per annum to top Bears standout Eddie Jackson, and teams are understandably skittish about committing major dollars to players in this current climate.

Other disgruntled players have made similar concessions this offseason. Trent Williams wanted a long-term extension to put him near the top of the tackle leaderboard, but agreed to table talks once he was traded to the 49ers. Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue is reportedly willing to wait too, if another team is able to work out a deal. In the case of Williams, the Niners effectively met him in the middle by guaranteeing a portion of his 2020 salary and waiving their right to franchise tag him next year. It’s not clear whether the Seahawks are considering something similar for Adams.