This was a move the Jets had to make. Given Jamal Adams’ comments in recent weeks, it simply wasn’t going to work for another year in New York. Jets General Manager Joe Douglas did a great job of squeezing every single drop of value out of a deal for Adams, gaining two 1st-round picks and then some in return for a safety. It doesn’t matter how good of a player Adams is, the Jets are a team with holes that even one of the best safeties in the game couldn’t cover (They’re 15-31 in 3 seasons with Adams in the lineup, in case you don’t believe us). This move puts them in a better position to address several areas in 2021 and beyond.
The Seahawks, on the other hand, definitely overpaid. But they weren’t necessarily wrong to do so. Unlike the Jets, they are not that far away from being a championship team. Their quarterback, Russell Wilson, is one of the best in the game and right in the prime of his career. Seattle was 11-5 a season ago and mere inches away from beating out the 49ers for the NFC West division title. They did this with a defense that was among the worst in the league in 2019:
The Seahawks are going all in to try and maximize the prime of Russell Wilson’s career, which is exactly what they should be doing. And Jamal Adams will help Seattle improve in every single one of the above categories.
Adams does most of his damage around the line of scrimmage. He has great run recognition skills, a nose for the ball, and is an aggressive tackler.
Here he is on the right side of the screen (#33) calling out the play before making the tackle in the backfield:
And here he is against the Dolphins (right side of screen) quickly diagnosing the run before attacking:
Adams led all safeties in tackles for loss last season. Seattle finished 29th.
Adams also led all safeties with 6.5 sacks as Jets Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams loved to use him to blitz. On the below play against the Giants, you can see him run over Saquon Barkley and then just take the ball from Daniel Jones.
There aren’t too many running backs in the NFL who can handle Adams in pass protection.
The Jets utilized the blitz 4th most in the NFL last season, and they did so with lots of success. Adams was a big reason why. Seattle was middle of the pack in blitz frequency, but it will be interesting to see if they become more aggressive in 2020 to take advantage of Adams’ skills.
While most of the damage Adams does is in stopping the run and getting after the quarterback, he is also very effective in coverage.
Here he is in man-to-man against tight end Dallas Goedert. Look at the jam, the physicality at the line of scrimmage, and then the ability to close on the ball.
Below, you can see his ability to execute in zone coverage. The Jets were playing quarters to his side here. This meant Adams was responsible for the #2 inside vertical route.
After the snap, he quickly realized there was no #2 inside vertical threat. So he correctly turned his attention to bracketing the #1 receiver on the outside.
Adams did a good job of not getting too much depth, keeping him in position to quickly break on the ball for a near interception.
While this play was not the Cover-3 look that the Seahawks predominantly utilize in zone, it shows Adams’ ability to play to his responsibilities, recognize route concepts, and quickly react.
Click here for more Jamal Adams plays and breakdowns.
Ultimately, this trade helps both sides. The Seahawks get better today while the Jets get better tomorrow. Given where they currently stand, this is the correct approach for both organizations.
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