Getty Mike Macdonald may not ever coach Jamal Adams, who is being mentioned in rumors as a potential Seahawks cap casualty.
The Seattle Seahawks face a decision on star safety Jamal Adams’ future, but the team is unlikely to find a bustling trade market for the veteran. The Seahawks roster could look remarkably different as new head coach Mike Macdonald works with general manager John Schneider.
Will the Seahawks give Adams a season under Macdonald to see if the new coach can resurrect his career? It would be an expensive experiment as Seattle can save about $6 million in cap space by releasing Adams this offseason. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox put together a “dream” trade scenario for every NFL team.
The analyst ponders whether the Washington Commanders would be willing to give up a late day-three pick for Adams. Former Seahawks defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. is now on the Commanders staff and has familiarity with Adams.
“Convincing a team to take on Adams’ $16.5 million base salary wouldn’t be easy, given his recent injury history, and the Seahawks couldn’t expect a hefty return,” Knox wrote in a February 20, 2024 story titled, “Dream Offseason Trade Scenario for Every NFL Team.” “It might also require sending him to a team that is familiar with him—like the Commanders, who now employ Ken Norton Jr., who was Seattle’s defensive coordinator during Adams’ last Pro Bowl campaign in 2020.
“However, even a high Day 3 draft pick would be preferable to releasing Adams outright or simply holding out hope that he can be a dependable contributor in 2024.”
The Seattle Seahawks Can Save About $6 Million in Cap Space in 2024 by Releasing Jamal Adams
Adams still has two seasons remaining on a four-year, $70.5 million contract. Seattle has an out in Adams’ deal this offseason. The team would take a $20.8 million dead cap hit by releasing the former Pro Bowler.
The advantage of this move is it also rids the Seahawks of Adams’ massive $27.9 million cap hit for 2025. As mentioned above, cutting Adams saves the Seahawks a little more than $6 million in cap space for 2024.
Jamal Adams Has Not Recorded a Sack Since 2020 & Played in 10 Total Games Over the Last 2 Seasons
After being remarkably healthy during his three years with the New York Jets, Adams’ tenure in Seattle has unfortunately been marked by injuries. Adams has missed significant time in all four of his seasons with the Seahawks.
The safety played in just 10 total games over the last two years. After posting a career-high 9.5 sacks in 2020, Adams has not recorded a sack in the last three seasons. Adams posted 48 tackles, 7 tackles for loss and 2 pass deflections in 9 starts during the 2023 season.
Seahawks Rumors: Jamal Adams Is More Likely to Be Cut Than Traded
Unless Macdonald pounds the table to keep Adams, there is a good chance the safety is not on the roster in 2024. The idea of trading Adams to the Commanders is likely a bit of wishful thinking, even with Norton on the new staff.
Through a bit of cap gymnastics, the Seahawks can save up to $16.5 million in cap space by pushing some money to 2025, per The Athletic.
“Safety is the most obvious position where 2024 cap values do not align with performance,” The Athletic detailed in a February 20 article titled, “NFL salary cap cut candidates for all 32 teams: Nick Chubb, Joe Mixon among possibilities.” “Jamal Adams ($26.9 million) and Quandre Diggs ($21.3 million) are scheduled to count a combined $48.2 million. Using the post-June 1 designation for Adams would push $10 million in charges into 2025, increasing 2024 relief from $6.1 million to $16.5 million.”