Getty New Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt said Jamal Adams is still a difference maker.
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ormer first-round pick Jamal Adams struggled during his second season with the Seattle Seahawks last year. He failed to record a single sack and just didn’t make as many impactful plays as other seasons during his career.
On top of that, Adams missed the final five games because of a shoulder injury.
But in an introductory interview with Seahawks.com, new Seahawks defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt put to rest any question of whether the team still views Adams as a major part of their future.
“Jamal is still a difference maker,” Hurtt said.
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Jamal Adams’s Skillset as a Pass Rusher
Adams may not have played as well in 2021, but the Seahawks had a role in the decline of his play.
Pro Football Focus reports Adams averaged 8.8 pass rushing snaps per game in 2020 while in 2021, that average dropped to 4.25. This occurred despite Adams still excelling as a pass rusher. The PFF player grades ranked Adams as the sixth-best safety in rushing the passer last season.
Instead of blitzing, the Seahawks deployed Adams in positions on the field new to him. Naturally, it took time for even the former All-Pro to adjust.
“We put him in situations that really was not his background, so you have to give him some leeway in understanding that he was in a new world last year with some of the things he was doing, playing a quarter safety or half field safety and the adjustments he had to make along the way,” Hurtt said. “And he really improved in that aspect throughout the course of the season.
“He’s going to continue to get better, and obviously there’s multiple things he’s got to be able to do so the quarterback can’t always peg him for just being one particular type of way.”
Hurtt told Seahawks.com it will be his responsibility to place Adams in situations where he can find the most success in 2022. He also added that with the experience of last season, Adams will only continue to improve as he develops a wider skillset.
“Jamal is a smart enough guy that he understands, it’s not just going to be about his ability to blitz and run fit and do those types of things, it’s the different techniques and coverages that he has to that he has to play, but making sure it’s something that he’s really exceptional at besides just rushing the quarterback and blitzing.”
Jamal Adams the Key to Defensive Improvement for Seahawks
The Seahawks signed Adams to a four-year contract extension worth $70 million last August. That was 13 months after trading two first-round picks to the New York Jets to acquire him.
Obviously, the Seahawks have invested a lot in the 26-year-old safety. The team now needs Adams to play like the elite defensive playmaker he is.
In 2020, the Seahawks were ranked seventh in sacks and 10th in takeaways on defense. Adams led the team with a career-high 9.5 sacks, as he helped Seattle go 12-4 and win the NFC West.
But last season, the Seahawks dropped to 22nd in sacks and 25th in takeaways. For the first time in his career, Adams had zero sacks the entire season. Seattle finished 7-10 and in last place of the division.