The Seattle Seahawks are not staying dormant in free agency this year. One of the more active teams during the first week, Seattle continued their transaction streak by signing former Giants safety Julian Love to a two-year contract on Friday. The deal is worth up to $12 million, which is rather fitting for the Seahawks.
Now, many might be wondering “why did Seattle sign a safety? Don’t they already have Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams?” It’s a fair question to ponder, until one takes a closer look at the immediate and impending reality of the position.
Diggs remains a viable veteran presence in the Seahawks secondary, and despite a slow start (by his usually high standards) he still qualified for his third-consecutive Pro Bowl. He is not the focus of this article. But it may be time to have some hard conversations about his running mate, Jamal Adams.
Adams was the subject of a blockbuster trade in July of 2020, where Seattle sent the New York Jets two first round picks, a third, and starting safety Bradley McDougald. Following a 2020 where Adams set an NFL record for most sacks by a safety (9.5) he was given a four-year, $72 million dollar extension. However, the return on investment has been rather poor from the Seahawks perspective.
Adams has great difficulty staying healthy, as he has only played in 26 out of a possible 52 games for Seattle – including missing practically the entire 2022 season after suffering a torn quad in Week 1. Essentially, Seattle made Adams the highest paid safety in the NFL and has only received 90 total tackles and two interceptions as a result.
Now, it’s hard to imagine the Seahawks cutting ties with Adams this summer. While the previously stated R.O.I. hasn’t been tremendous, they’re still financially motivated to give him one more shot. If nothing else, moving on from Adams will result in Seattle eating a dead cap hit of $23 million.
Although, the Seahawks do have bit of an out for the 2024 season, as the dead cap falls to $14 million.
Signing Love does not necessarily herald the end of the Adams era in the Emerald City. All three, Diggs, Adams, Love, and perhaps Ryan Neal can be quality contributors in 2023. But if Adams proves he is no longer the player Seattle wants him to be, they have given themselves insurance for the future.
