Getty Jamal Adams had a message for the Rams.
Jamal Adams was one of the main stars absent as the Seattle Seahawks OTA practices took place from June 7-10. It is important to remember that OTA practices are voluntary, but a number of key Seahawks players were in attendance including Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner.
“The Seahawks’ 10th and final OTA is over,” ESPN’s Brady Henderson tweeted on June 10th. “Quandre Diggs, Carlos Dunlap, Al Woods, DeeJay Dallas, Travis Homer were there. Still no Jamal Adams, Duane Brown, Chris Carson, Tyler Lockett, Benson Mayowa, Nick Bellore or Aldon Smith, who weren’t at Tuesday’s OTA. These are voluntary.”
The Seahawks begin their mandatory minicamp on June 15th, and all eyes will be on Adams to see if the Seahawks star safety will be in attendance. DK Metcalf later revealed that Tyler Lockett is in Seattle indicating he will be attending minicamp fresh off his lucrative contract extension this offseason.
Media doesn’t have access to OTAs today but it looks like we can stop wondering whether Tyler Lockett will show up.
Adams’ Absence at Minicamp Would Fuel Speculation About a Potential Holdout
Given the backdrop, Adams’ absence heading into minicamp takes on increased importance. Adams is entering the final season of his four-year, $22.2 million contract and is due for a sizable raise. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer called Adams’ status one of the top 10 NFL storylines for the remainder of the offseason
“Will Jamal Adams show up? For a time, all the Seahawks’ veterans were staying away from OTAs, but that changed last week with the arrival of Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner,” Breer noted. “Adams still hasn’t shown, and is in a spot similar to one that Jalen Ramsey and Laremy Tunsil were a year ago, with his team’s having traded a treasure chest of draft capital for him without a new contract in place (see: leverage).”
Sports Illustrated’s Corbin Smith wonders if a potential minicamp absence could extend into a training camp holdout if a new deal is not reached soon. Adams could put all this speculation to rest if he attends minicamp.
“While most of Seattle’s veterans opted to report for ‘voluntary’ OTAs last week and the team had close to 80 players on the field on Thursday, Adams expectedly stayed away from the facility,” Smith explained. “It remains unknown whether or not he will participate in next week’s festivities or if a training camp holdout could be looming without reaching an agreement on a record-breaking extension.”
Schneider on Adams’ Future: ‘We Want Him to Be [Here] a Long Time for Sure’
During the team’s pre-draft press conference, the Seahawks emphasized that Adams is part of their long-term plans. The Seahawks did not give up two first-round picks for a player they did not plan to reward financially.
“Absolutely. We’re going to be celebrating Jamal tomorrow evening [first round of the draft],” Seahawks general manager John Schneider noted in April, per Seahawks.com. “We want him to be [here] a long time for sure. He’s a great player. We’re glad we made the trade to get him, and he’s going to be a very important part of our future.”
All indications are the Seahawks will reach a long-term extension with Adams. The question is the timing of the deal and whether questions about Adams’ future will loom into the 2021 season.