What a Jamal Adams extension could look like for the Seahawks

It’s a leverage battle for Jamal Adams

The Seahawks are trying to do this right. They have kept all the negotiation talk under the table. Exactly what you hope for when a star player is up to be paid. So, where are we at with the negotiations?

Jamal Adams standpoint:

• Seahawks trade an unbelievable draft haul to acquire an un-extended Jamal Adams.
  • Adams knows this makes his value in the negotiating room substantially greater.
    • Laremy Tunsil (OT) blew the APY for his position out of the water after a similar situation.
    • The same goes for Jalen Ramsey (CB) with the Rams.
• Jamal Adams broke the all-time sack record in a season for a defensive back. He did it while only playing in just 12 of 16 possible games.
• Jamal Adams knows his presence and leadership is something that the Seahawks not only want but crave. He possesses the swagger and leadership that makes his value in Seattle even higher than it would be in some other organizations.
• Jamal Adams is turning just 26 and still has at least four years of his prime ahead of him.
• Adams positioned himself as a ‘defensive weapon’ as opposed to just a safety.
  • This is about positioning for the next contract.
  • He isn’t just a safety. He can play linebacker, contain, or rush the passer. He does-it-all.
  • He wants to be paid like a weapon, not a safety (safeties are amongst the lowest paid position on the defense).
  • This makes negotiations difficult.
• If a trade were to happen, it likely should have occurred during the draft. This further increases his leverage. If he knows he is unlikely to be dealt, he can dig in further.

Seahawks standpoints:

• Adams durability is a serious concern.
  • He missed four games because of major injuries.
  • He also amassed numerous other injuries (broken fingers, groin injuries, dislocated shoulder, etc.) that impacted his play.
  • Has multiple off-season surgeries to remedy the injuries.
• Whether due to injuries or not, his coverage was suboptimal. He wasn’t bad like some other outlets lead you to believe.
  • For a player wanting to get paid like a defensive end, he needs to be about as complete of a safety as they come.
  • Allowed a career-worst 78% completion rate when targeted (104.7 passer rating).
• The lack of interceptions is a concern.
  • Sure, he can create turnovers through his hard-nosed tackling.
  • Again, to get paid what he wants, he needs to be about as complete of safety as they come.
• Not a seamless scheme fit.
  • Jamal Adams would be a better fit in a 3-4 defense where his blitzing can be disguised.
  • In Seattle’s 4-3, the team more or less telegraphs his blitzes.

All in all, Jamal Adams holds more leverage. However, Seattle has some very serious concerns. This will ultimately boil down to this: Is Seattle willing to invest whatever it takes to get it done? If not, is Jamal Adams willing to take a discount to make this work?

Let’s look over where I believe a contract will end up for the Seahawks star safety.