Bumpus: Jamal Adams has been doing exactly what Seahawks expected
Nov 12, 2020, 1:21 PM
The Seahawks’ defense has been historically bad in 2020 and there’s naturally been a lot of finger pointing to figure out what’s wrong and who is to blame.
O’Neil: Fair or not, Wilson doesn’t get more margin for error this year
Most blame has gone to defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr and head coach Pete Carroll, but players aren’t out of the crosshairs either.
Middle linebacker Bobby Wagner, the defensive captain and perennial All-Pro, has taken his fair share of criticism, and one of Seattle’s newest stars has also been seen as not doing enough. That player is safety Jamal Adams, a first-team All-Pro in 2019.
Adams has played in four games for the Seahawks this year, missing four (plus essentially an entire half of another game) due to a Week 3 groin injury. The fourth-year safety made a lot of big splash plays for the struggling defense early in the season, but the unit is on pace to surrender the most yards in a single season not only in team history, but in the entire history of the NFL.
Adams’ status as a defensive back leads some to question if the trade to get him to Seattle, which cost the Seahawks two first-round picks, a third-round pick and a starting safety in Bradley McDougald, was worth it.
Through eight games (really four for Adams), is the star safety playing as well as advertised?
“I think he is,” former Seahawks receiver Michael Bumpus said Wednesday on 710 ESPN Seattle’s Danny and Gallant. “Three out of four games he’s gotten a sack, he has 28 tackles, he has eight QB hits.”
While that sort of stat line may not be jump out normally, Adams is a safety, so having that much success with sacks and pressures is pretty uncommon. Bumpus said that was a big part of why the Seahawks were willing to give up so much to get him.
“He’s not here to drop off into coverage and cause interceptions and pass defenses,” Bumpus said. “No, that’s not what he’s here to do. He’s here to cause havoc in the box and get after the quarterback.”
And while the Seahawks’ defense overall is struggling, Bumpus thinks Adams has played well and that the best is yet to come for him.
“I still don’t think he’s played his best game yet,” he said. “Against Atlanta, I mean, he came out hot, everyone is excited, and then he gets hurt in the third game of the year. So he’s still trying to get back into it.”
And with how the defense has performed this season, Bumpus said Adams does deserve a share of the blame like anyone on that side of the ball does.
“It’s so complicated on the defensive side of the football at this point, but I do feel like Jamal Adams is playing OK. Has he made his mistakes? Yes,” he said. “You name one person on that defense or offense who hasn’t made a mistake. Even (Russell Wilson), the superhero, has made his mistakes. There’s things this team has to do to move along. They’re 6-2. They can’t be OK, they’re leading the NFC West, they’re still the second team in the NFC. And they’re playing like this and it’s ugly.”
As far as how Adams could take a step forward the second half of the season, Bumpus said he and former Seahawks safety and assistant coach Paul Moyer (both of whom you can hear on Hawks Live and the Seahawks pregame and postgame shows on 710 ESPN Seattle) have discussed that and have a few ideas.
“It’s re-routing. It’s really making these receivers uncomfortable. It’s getting after the quarterback like he has been trying to do, and it’s just integrity. Whatever you’re trying to do, do it with integrity,” Bumpus said, referencing sticking to assignments.
Listen to Bumpus’ thoughts at this link or in the player below.
Follow Brandon Gustafson on Twitter.
Gallant: How Seahawks stack up against NFC’s 5 other best teams