OSN Column: Jamal Adams Has Not Worked Out For The Seattle Seahawks

(AP Photo/Stephen Brashear

So is the facade starting to crumble, or are we just finally noticing it? The Seattle Seahawks’ reign of consistent winning is certainly falling to new lows this season. With the Seahawks fading towards the back of the best division in all of football as we near November, sure, some of it is bad luck. All-Pro quarterback Russell Wilson’s injury has handcuffed Seattle’s offense, and while the squad still has a significant amount of playmakers on offense, you can’t blame the reduced production on any of them. When you take someone with the talent of a Wilson out of an offense, nearly any team will struggle.

But it’s not the Wilson injury that is the most glaring cause for concern with this Seahawks team so far this season. The biggest problem is that the shiny new, expensive toy in the Seattle secondary has been nothing short of a bust. Jamal Adams, who signed a four-year deal worth $70 million in August, making him the highest-paid safety in the league, hasn’t been anywhere near worth the money he is being paid.

Sure, you’ve seen the viral video of Adams proclaiming, “I’m the best in the nation,” during his Sunday Night Football introduction video only to see that Pro Football Focus actually ranks him 62nd out of 85 possible players at his role. But it goes beyond the viral clips or easy-to-spot coverage busts that even the most casual of fans can see. Adams, for as much as he claims to be a leader and is paid to be one, can’t even keep himself in the right position, let alone lead others to be.

While this season’s on-field production has been bad, the future and current ramifications of the trade the Hawks made to get Adams to Seattle might be even worse. When Seattle dealt for Adams, they sent the king’s riches back to the New York Jets. The Seahawks parted ways with three draft picks, including two straight first-round selections in last year’s draft, along with this upcoming one as well. In addition to the first round picks, Seattle also gave up a 3rd round pick for Adams.

So yes, even if Adams was performing up to expectations, the Seahawks would still be open to criticism from fans because of the future ramifications they gave up for one player. But now that he’s struggling even to hold his own, let alone lead a competent defense? Oh, it’s open season on the brass of leadership for the Seahawks, and rightfully so.

Seattle has the 8th oldest roster in the league, and with a lack of draft picks, it appears like it will stay that way for the foreseeable future. In addition to that, the salary cap situation is now much more challenging to navigate around to keep additional talent around Wilson and the offense as well as the defense, which frankly under Adams’ tenure has quickly become a bottom-five unit in the league.

Is it fair to completely write Adams off already? Of course not. It’s entirely possible the three-time Pro Bowler can and will make adjustments and boost his play along with the entire defense. But it’s fair and even necessary for Seahawk fans to criticize the initial trade and mega-deal that has been signed since. Because while the ink from the deal is still drying, the lasting consequences haven’t even yet been written.