During the lead-in to free agency, the Seahawks moved on from starting safeties Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams. Both remain unsigned at this time, but a reunion with the latter could be on the table.
Adams has been in contact with the Seahawks, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reports. He adds that “interest in a possible return is regarded as legitimate,” a strong follow-up to general manager John Schneider‘s public stance stating Adams could be brought back.
The 28-year-old was released last month in a cost-shedding move.
Acquired via trade from the Jets in 2020, Adams had a highly productive debut Seahawks campaign (83 tackles, 9.5 sacks). Injuries limited him to just 32 games across the following three seasons, though, including a single contest in 2022.
The three-time Pro Bowler was held without a sack or interception this past season while struggling in coverage. That could lead to Seattle bringing him back with the intention of using him more at the second level than in the secondary, Condotta notes.
Indeed, ESPN’s Brady Henderson adds the Seahawks would reunite with Adams with the intention of using him at weakside linebacker. The LB spot saw considerable change during free agency, with Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks departing on the open market.
Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker were brought in as replacements, and Adams would likely compete for playing time with the latter if he were to be brought back.
Both Condotta and Henderson note that nothing is imminent at this time, however, and the team may not need to proceed with much urgency given how much smaller any new Adams agreement will be than his previous pact.
The former No. 6 pick was attached to a four-year, $70M deal before he was cut. Given his injury history (along with general downward trend of the safety market), Adams will no doubt sign a ‘prove it’ accord upon returning to Seattle or joining a new team.
The Seahawks have Julian Love in place as a safety starter, and the team added Rayshawn Jenkins and K’Von Wallace in free agency. Adams could provide depth on the backend even if he were primarily used at linebacker.
Condotta names the 49ers as one of a “handful of teams” which has touched base with Adams this offseason. The Seahawks are clearly one of them, but they could have competition from a division rival in a hypothetical pursuit.
Seattle currently has just $1.6M in cap space, a portion of which will be needed to sign the team’s draft class.
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