Jamal Adams
Jamal Adams is a fantastic football player who was completely wasted in 2021 before he got hurt. I don’t believe the crap we were told by the coaching staff this past season that Adams was still being used in the same way as he was in 2020 but offenses were adjusting to what Adams was trying to do as far as pressuring the quarterback goes.
No player goes from 9.5 sacks and 12 quarterback hits in one season to zero and zero in the next unless the direction of him per coaching has changed. Whatever Ken Norton, Jr. was trying to do last year was terrible. In fact, that Adams actually got 2 interceptions in 2021 is more a sign of his use than even sacks.
Adams was playing in coverage more than in 2020. He’s a safety and he should be. But Adams has unique talent and that talent requires some imagination from a defensive coordinator. No one will ever accuse Norton, Jr. of being imaginative. However, Adams’ season of lack of splash plays has many 12s thinking he is a bust in Seattle.
He isn’t. Adams just needs a coach that understands him. In Sean Desai and Kris Scott, along with DC Clint Hurtt, Seattle should have coaches that can get the best out of Adams. Adams might not have 9.5 sacks again, but could easily have 5 or 6 but they come in the most needed situations where the design of the defense makes it harder for an offense to block him.
But Adams also will likely be good in coverage, too, because Desai and Scott are excellent at coaching secondaries and making them playmakers. Adams will have a bounce-back season in 2022 and fewer people will stop talking about all Seattle had to give up to get him from the Jets.