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The Seattle Seahawks traded for Jamal Adams in 2020. In his first season with the team, Adams had 58 solo tackles and earned a 64.2 PFF grade. While these are good numbers, they are not eye-popping or near the top of the league. Here's why Jamal Adams could be the highest-paid safety in the NFL.
Jamal Adams: the next highest-paid safety in the NFL?
Career history and potential
Jamal Adams' case is not about 2020. It is about the entire body of work in Adams' career. In his rookie season of 2017, Adams earned a 68.5 PFF grade and 74 solo tackles. His second season saw a massive jump. In 2018, Adams had 94 solo tackles and earned an 89.8 PFF grade. 2019 saw Adams earn 60 solo tackles and an 87.9 PFF grade.
While 2020 was a down year for Adams, he has a large enough portfolio of work to show that he can be a top-tier safety going into the future.
Longevity
At 25 years old, Jamal Adams still has most of his football career in front of him. Meaning, the Seattle Seahawks can likely get another six seasons out of him before looking for a replacement. In other words, he can be a foundational piece for the defense for a long time to come.
Seahawks have needs on defense
While the Seattle Seahawks were a proud defense around 2013, those days are long gone. Last season, the Seahawks were ranked 22nd in total defense. Without Jamal Adams, they could have easily had a bottom-five defense in the NFL.
Put simply, the Seahawks cannot afford to have an unhappy Adams. When the need is this great, the Seattle Seahawks will be more willing to shell out more to keep him around.
Time is ticking for Wilson era
This season, Russell Wilson will be 33 years old. Coming off a 12-4 season, the Seahawks need to find a way to make a push deep into the playoffs in the next few seasons. While Tom Brady may be able to play into his mid 40s, Russell Wilson's mobile style of game will not allow him to play as long as pocket quarterbacks like Tom Brady.
Therefore, the pressure on the Seahawks to maximize their next five years will further push them to pay Jamal Adams and any other pieces they think will get them to another Super Bowl.
