Seahawks Reveal Reason for Jamal Adams Trade

Getty Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll believes Jamal Adams is worth the premium price the team paid.

Many are criticizing the Seattle Seahawks for giving up too much in their trade with the New York Jets for Jamal Adams. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll made his first public comments about the Adams trade and revealed the team’s thought process in an interview with NBC Sports’ Peter King.

“We haven’t drafted above 25 for what—10 years?” Carroll explained. “So we haven’t had a shot at a top-10 pick in a while, and we haven’t had a shot at a top safety in the draft since Earl. This was an extraordinary opportunity for us. Jamal’s a legitimate impact player, in the style we love.”

Carroll is clearly aware that the Seahawks are being criticized for giving up two first-round picks along with a third-round selection for a safety who is not happy with his current contract. The Seahawks thought process was the ability to land a generational talent by giving up two first-round picks that will likely be in the 20’s. Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy explained why it was worth it for the Seahawks to give up so much for Adams.

“Some will say the Seahawks gave up too much for a box safety,” Nagy noted on Twitter. “We get it. But that role is designed to be a playmaking postion in Pete Carroll’s defense. Kam Chancellor made a huge impact from that spot.”

Adams was welcomed to Seattle on social media by a number of key Seahawks players. Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner and Quandre Diggs were among the players who voiced their support for the acquisition of Adams.

Adams Is ‘All In’ on Winning a Super Bowl

The Seahawks have not had a player of this magnitude at the position since Kam Chancellor. After the trade, Adams made it clear to the Seahawks that his eyes are on a Super Bowl.

“To the Seahawks Org & Fans: You have a man on a mission, a man all in on winning a Super Bowl, being the best leader & teammate he can be, & a man who will give everything he has to the city of Seattle and to the 12s all across the world,” Adams tweeted. “Thank you for believing in me! #Prez”

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer detailed that the Seahawks “view picks a little differently than most teams.” This prompted the Seahawks to be willing to pay a premium for Adams to be the centerpiece of Carroll’s defense.

“Now, the haul going out was huge,” Breer explained. “But the Seahawks view picks a little differently than most teams—seeing them more as capital than anything else, and thus seeing this as a chance to trade chips in for a Hall of Fame type of talent. And if you want to put numbers on it, that can be done.”

The Seahawks ‘Loved’ Adams Coming Out of LSU

While the Seahawks were only recently linked to Adams, the team’s appreciation for the safety started a long time ago. Breer reported that the Seahawks “loved Adams coming out of LSU.” The challenge for the Seahawks in finding a player of Adams’ caliber in the draft is the team is consistently picking at the end of the first round.

“Seattle also loved Adams coming out of LSU, and the more homework they did, the more they saw an uber-competitor who was perfect for Pete Carroll’s program,” Breer noted. “The Seahawks also filled needs on multiple fronts, in that Adams can affect the quarterback as a blitzer, and cover the NFC West tight ends (George Kittle, Tyler Higbee) they’ve struggled with of late.”