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Raiders being experimental with new high-profile signing

Originally posted on Dice City Sports | By Derek Hegna | Last updated Jul 25, 2025 9:39 AM ET

When the Las Vegas Raiders signed Jamal Adams, they knew they were getting their hands on a reclamation project.

The former All-Pro safety has hit a rough patch lately, being released by the Seattle Seahawks in 2023 and bouncing around the league last season. However, he is not too far removed from being considered one of the best box safeties in the NFL. In his eight seasons in the league, Adams has amassed 501 tackles, 21.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles, 36 passes defended and four interceptions.

That level of playmaking is hard to come by this late in the offseason, and the Raiders are hoping that a change can maximize the gifts that Adams brings to the table.

A position change could be just what Adams needs to get back on track.

According to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, Adams is working with the linebackers during Raiders training camp.

Jamal Adams is working with the #Raiders‘ linebackers during individual drills today.

— Tashan Reed (@tashanreed) July 24, 2025

Adams has typically thrived when asked to attack at the line of scrimmage, so the positional switch allows him to be more aggressive than he likely would be as a safety.

The move has the potential to send shockwaves across the Raiders’ depth chart. Veteran such as Devin White and Jaylon Smith, as well as the trio of young linebackers (Amari Gainer, Tommy Eichenberg, Cody Lindenberg), will all have to step up their game in order to guarantee their spots on the roster now that Adams is with them. Meanwhile, safeties on the roster bubble such as Chris Smith and Trey Taylor have their path to a spot opened back up, but a strong effort will still be required to convince the Raiders to keep a fifth safety.

Adams is a low-risk proposition for the Raiders this offseason, and now the team is looking into maximizing the rewards.

This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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