ivotuk
Well-known member
Great read! Bill Barnwell is usually pretty negative when it comes to the Seahawks, and he began by heading that direction, fooling me, and going the opposite way.
Jamal Adams trade grades for Seahawks and Jets: Can a safety really be worth this much?
On the other hand, Carroll and Schneider used the 14th overall pick in their first draft on a safety out of Texas by the name of Earl Thomas, and that move worked out fine. Two years later, they went against the grain and used their third-round pick on Russell Wilson, who was supposedly too short to be an NFL quarterback. They landed two likely Hall of Famers by taking shots where other teams feared to tread.
Since Wilson arrived in town, the only team to win more games than the Seahawks is the Patriots. These guys might deserve some benefit of the doubt at this point, no?
In a vacuum, trading this sort of haul for a safety -- even one as talented as Adams -- is a bad idea. Let's see if we can play devil's advocate and get a sense of why the Seahawks might be correct to think otherwise.
Argument No. 1: Could Adams make an impact like Tyrann Mathieu?
If the Seahawks want evidence that a safety can help push a team over the top and propel them from a perennial playoff contender into a Super Bowl winner, they don't have to look far.
The Chiefs' offense was absolutely devastating after Patrick Mahomes took over as the starter in 2018, but a defense ranked 26th in DVOA couldn't hold up its end of the bargain.
As ESPN's Mina Kimes noted on Twitter, Adams was credited as a linebacker or a defensive lineman more frequently than he was a safety before the snap since the start of his career.
Adams is better in coverage than any linebacker and better against the run than just about any safety. He has the ability and frame to compete with guys such as Kittle and Murray, and there aren't many players in the league who can do that.
Adams also should be able to make an impact in a place most safeties typically don't: as a pass-rusher.
Since entering the league, he has 12 sacks and 23 knockdowns, the most of any defensive back over that time frame. He racked up 6.5 sacks and 13 hits last season, which is something defensive backs just don't do.
You might remember him ripping the ball out of Daniel Jones' hands last season before taking the ball to the house for a touchdown. As a designated blitzer or by coming late in plays as a spy or a "green dog" rusher, Adams is an impactful pass-rusher.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/295 ... worth-much
Jamal Adams trade grades for Seahawks and Jets: Can a safety really be worth this much?
On the other hand, Carroll and Schneider used the 14th overall pick in their first draft on a safety out of Texas by the name of Earl Thomas, and that move worked out fine. Two years later, they went against the grain and used their third-round pick on Russell Wilson, who was supposedly too short to be an NFL quarterback. They landed two likely Hall of Famers by taking shots where other teams feared to tread.
Since Wilson arrived in town, the only team to win more games than the Seahawks is the Patriots. These guys might deserve some benefit of the doubt at this point, no?
In a vacuum, trading this sort of haul for a safety -- even one as talented as Adams -- is a bad idea. Let's see if we can play devil's advocate and get a sense of why the Seahawks might be correct to think otherwise.
Argument No. 1: Could Adams make an impact like Tyrann Mathieu?
If the Seahawks want evidence that a safety can help push a team over the top and propel them from a perennial playoff contender into a Super Bowl winner, they don't have to look far.
The Chiefs' offense was absolutely devastating after Patrick Mahomes took over as the starter in 2018, but a defense ranked 26th in DVOA couldn't hold up its end of the bargain.
As ESPN's Mina Kimes noted on Twitter, Adams was credited as a linebacker or a defensive lineman more frequently than he was a safety before the snap since the start of his career.
Adams is better in coverage than any linebacker and better against the run than just about any safety. He has the ability and frame to compete with guys such as Kittle and Murray, and there aren't many players in the league who can do that.
Adams also should be able to make an impact in a place most safeties typically don't: as a pass-rusher.
Since entering the league, he has 12 sacks and 23 knockdowns, the most of any defensive back over that time frame. He racked up 6.5 sacks and 13 hits last season, which is something defensive backs just don't do.
You might remember him ripping the ball out of Daniel Jones' hands last season before taking the ball to the house for a touchdown. As a designated blitzer or by coming late in plays as a spy or a "green dog" rusher, Adams is an impactful pass-rusher.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/295 ... worth-much