Detroit Lions safety Jamal Adams (25) warms up before the game between Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Panthers predicted to make a run at former All-Pro Jets safety

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated May 19, 2025 7:14 AM ET

The Carolina Panthers probably need a safety before the regular season starts. The safety room currently consists of Trevon Moehrig, Lathan Ransom, Nick Scott, and Demani Richardson. While that's not exactly a who's who, it's also a very thin rotation. One injury could prove detrimental.

The draft is done, and the best free agents to fill that void are, too. However, there are still some enticing names out there, including former All-Pro safety Jamal Adams. The 29-year-old has expressed a desire to reunite with the New York Jets, but Last Word on Sports' Anthony Palacios believes the Panthers might want to intervene.

He believes the Panthers' secondary has made strides this offseason, but that they still need some help. The addition of Moehrig in free agency is a start, but they need more depth on the back end to help Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson. Palacios willingly admitted that Adams, who hasn't started more than 10 games since 2022, is not in his prime, but that he'd be an upgrade over Scott on the depth chart.

At this stage of free agency, Adams would be incredibly cheap. It's unclear if the Jets want him and if a bidding war would breakout, but the 29-year-old on the decline with limited options not very long before the preseason won't cost much at all.

The Panthers wouldn't expect him to revert to All-Pro or even Pro Bowl form, but he would be a valuable depth piece. And as Palacios pointed out, he's possibly an upgrade over Scott that could be a good mentor for someone like Ransom, a rookie in the secondary.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: